


Three's A Crowd

by GoldenDaydreams



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec Lightwood & Jace Wayland Friendship, Alec has had enough, Awkwardness, Blow Jobs, Caught in the Act, Comfort Sex, Dirty Talk, Episode: s02e09 Bound By Blood, Episode: s02e10 By the Light of Dawn, Explicit Sexual Content, Feelings, Fluff, Humor, Innuendo, Jace is a cockblock, Life-Affirming Sex, M/M, Magnus Bane & Jace Wayland Friendship, NSFW, Parabatai Bond, Parabatai Feels, Porn With Plot, Roommates, Sex, Sexting, Sexual Humor, Sexual Humour, Smut, Spoilers for Season 2A, Unexpected Feels Trip, drunk!Alec, that's it that's the story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-04
Updated: 2017-06-01
Packaged: 2018-09-28 04:36:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10072013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoldenDaydreams/pseuds/GoldenDaydreams
Summary: “Two can play at this game.” Alec had the pleasure of watching Magnus go from confused, to a slow smirk, and understanding coming to his eyes. “I might not be able to kick him out, but I can make him want to leave.”A.K.AThe story where Jace keeps interrupting Alec and Magnus's 'alone time,' and they're both super fed up.





	1. Problem

Magnus’s glittery green nails dragged down his chest as they made out on the couch. The affection shared between them came with an ease that surprised Alec. He never expected to be so disarmed by anyone, to feel so safe while simultaneously being so vulnerable. With Magnus, the world fell away. He didn’t think about the Institute, he didn’t think about his disapproving parents, nor Jace’s sister drama, or Isabelle’s addiction. He couldn’t. Not with his mind so focussed on the glint of rings on Magnus’s hands, the blue streaks in his mussed hair, the way his lips moved so sensually over his own, the feel of skin on skin as their shirts were tossed on the floor.

“I missed you,” Magnus said, his lips brushing feather-light kisses along his jaw.

Alec smiled, he liked being missed. He liked being wanted. It gave him a rush that this interesting, kind, compassionate, wonderful man missed _him._ His fingertips trailed over the back of his boyfriend’s jeans. “I wasn’t even gone that long,” Alec said softly, afraid of breaking the bubble that seemed to surround them. “I was just at work.”

Magnus shifted, his face back in view, his lower lips stuck out. “You were gone nine hours.”

Alec rolled his eyes playfully. “You’re ridiculous,” he muttered. He dug his elbows into the couch lean up and recapture Magnus’s lips. “But I missed you too.”

“Knew it,” Magnus said, his eyes glinting with mischief. They barely had space between them, just enough to see the other smiling widely. A glittery green nail trailed lightly over Alec’s deflect rune. “Maybe we should take this to the bedroom?”

“Yeah,” Alec breathed the word. His lips found Magnus’s, the kind of force that made Magnus move. They managed to get off the couch, and around the coffee table without breaking the kiss. Long archer fingers dexterously undid the row of buttons on the front of Magnus’s jeans.

Magnus must have thought they were moving to the room too slow, he took control of the kiss, turning them, pushing Alec backward toward the front door, and ultimately the hallway that would take them to the bedroom. They made it to the entrance way when the door suddenly opened, the doorknob hitting Alec in the lower back.

The pain hit just right of his spine, and he quickly pushed Magnus further into the room as he turned around. Of course, he wouldn’t just be without a weapon while attacked, but shirtless too.

Only they weren’t being attacked.

Jace smiled sheepishly, his intoxication showing in the flush of his cheeks, and glint in his eyes. “Sorry.” The Seelie woman behind him smiled flirtatiously, her body pressing against Jace’s back, her hands running over his tight fitting black t-shirt.

Alec rubbed the spot on his back that he could feel bruising. Feeling his own bare skin reminded him of his current state of undress, hair surely a mess, probably a few hickeys knowing Magnus, not to mention the uncomfortable tent in his jeans. His face reddened and he tried to find a way to keep his hands in front of his groin and still look natural. It didn’t work.  “Would it kill you to knock?”

“Knock?” Jace raised a brow. “I live here.”

“Oh, no, no, no, you sleep in the spare room here,” Alec clarified. “You don’t _live_ here. You’re welcome back at the Institute now.”

“You having something over Aldertree does not make me _welcome_.” Jace reached back and grabbed the Seelie’s hand. “Now, I have bad life choices to make. Sorry for interrupting- get back to… whatever you were doing.”

Alec watched his stumbling parabatai, and the Seelie who didn’t look to be fairing much better, wobbling in her four inch stilettos. “I love him, but I kind of want to kill him,” Alec said. “Is that normal?”

Magnus snickered. “Considering the circumstances…” he trailed off as he gently removed Alec’s hand from his back and sighed. “That looks like it hurts, it’s already bruising.”

“Figured,” Alec muttered. Warmth flooded him at the spot, his skin tingled, and he caught the scent of burnt sugar that came with magic.

“Is that better?” Magnus asked, warm breath against Alec’s ear.

“Yeah,” Alec whispered, turning around. He could see the playfulness in Magnus’s eyes. Maybe the mood hadn’t been completely killed. He bit his lip, and let his fingers trail down to Magnus’s unbuttoned jeans. He traced a single finger over the exposed part of his boyfriend’s red briefs. “Maybe I could try to show you how thankful I am.”

“That sounds-“

“Have I been a naughty girl? Spank me, Shadowhunter.”

Alec and Magnus stared at each other, then down the hall at the closed door where they’d heard the soft female voice. They turned back to each other only to hear the loud, pleased cry of the woman.

Slightly horrified, Alec found himself completely put off by the woman’s voice- or perhaps the clear implication of what his brother and a woman were doing behind that door. He cringed. “Mags, please.” He waved his hand around a bit, knowing Magnus would understand the gesture. “Do something.”

With a flick of his wrist, Magnus turned the stereo on across the room. “Better?”

Alec nodded, but as they returned to kissing, it just wasn’t the same, and neither felt as into it as before. They didn’t mind, not really, cuddling in bed together sharing lazy kisses before falling asleep in each other’s arms didn’t constitute as a bad night.

_However, after another two weeks…_

“If he weren’t your parabatai, no one would find the body,” Magnus muttered, listening to Jace’s latest conquest.

The two were on the couch, Magnus sitting up, glaring at his book. Alec, laying down across the remaining cushions, his legs over the couch arm, his head on his boyfriend’s thigh, had noticed that Magnus hadn’t flipped the page in over a half hour. “We leave for patrol soon. You’ll have the place to yourself, it’ll be quiet.”

Magnus sighed, shutting his book and tossing it on the table. His hand ran over the worn fabric of the t-shirt Alec wore. “But I’d rather spend time with you.”

“I’d rather be here too, but-“

“Duty calls, I know.” Magnus’s fingers danced teasingly just above Alec’s jeans. “If you lose Jace on the walk home, I would be completely okay with that.”

At this point, Alec wouldn’t mind either. He couldn’t, however, in good conscience just kick Jace out. He could however… “I have an idea.”

Magnus raised a brow. “What kind of idea?”

Alec lost his train of thought as Magnus undid the top button of his jeans. His breath quickened, and his mouth dried-

“Yes! YES! OH YES! JACE, OH IT FEELS SO GOOD.”

Frustrated, Alec gently brushed Magnus’s hand aside, and did his pants back up. He pushed himself into a sitting position, and turned to look at Magnus. “Two can play at this game.” He had the pleasure of watching Magnus go from confused, to a slow smirk, and understanding coming to his eyes. “I might not be able to kick him out, but I can make him want to leave.”

Magnus clapped his hands together, looking quite delighted with the idea. “I am your very willing pawn, my Darling.”

“Good,” Alec replied, pressing a quick, goodbye kiss to Magnus’s lips before standing.

The door down the hall opened and some brunette walked out, her hips swaying. Jace came out a moment later, pulling his jacket on. “Ready to go?”

Alec leaned down for one more kiss. “I’m so ready,” he muttered against Magnus’s lips before drawing away. “See you soon.”

“I look forward to it,” Magnus replied.

Alec grabbed his jacket from one of the hooks on the wall, and walked out the door.


	2. Kiss

Used glasses, the occasional candy wrapper, a few plates, and a t-shirt were on various surfaces in the living room. Alec stood with his hands on hips, glaring at the mess. It said something horrible about his parabatai’s mental state. Jace didn’t like disorder, for as long as Alec had known him, Jace had been a bit of a clean freak.

Alec huffed out a breath, and took to cleaning up Jace’s mess so Magnus wouldn’t see it when he got home. He stacked the glasses carefully, not wanting to break them, and cranked the music a little louder. The song had him bobbing his head as he tidied up; tossing wrappers, and relocating the shirt to the hamper. Up to his elbows in suds as he washed the dishes, he started paying attention to the lyrics, and froze.

_Of course._

Of course the last CD in Magnus’s stereo would have a song explicitly about sex. The lyrics made his cheeks warm, but no one was around to see. He smirked a little, enjoying the quick beat, it sounded like something that might play in Pandemonium. Imagining Magnus’s hips swaying sinfully to the beat under the flashing lights of the club eradicated the rest of his annoyance. As he washed the dishes, he continued the slight bobbing of his head, his hips swaying slightly, and a little off beat- he’d never been one for dancing.

“Well, well, well,” Magnus’s voice broke him from the trance.

Alec jumped, water sloshing over the sides of the sink. “Magnus!”

His boyfriend leaned against the kitchen doorway, his dark hair perfectly styled, dark eyes rimmed with eyeliner, and he couldn’t help but let his eyes linger on the perfectly cut three-piece suit. “You make quite the picture, Darling.”

He blinked, an eyebrow raised. He stood only in sweatpants he’d picked up off the floor when he woke up. “What? Doing the dishes does it for you?”

Magnus chuckled. “I do love a touch of domesticity, however, I was talking about your little dance while doing it.” He pushed away from the wall, and set his leather satchel on the island. “Surprises never cease.”

Alec felt his cheeks warm. “I was hoping you hadn’t noticed.” He put the last dish in the dry rack, and grabbed the towel to dry his hands.

“Do you like this song?” Magnus asked walking over, crowding him in the corner.

He gave a half-shrug. “It’s alright.”

Magnus bit his bottom lip, and leaned in. A kiss on his jaw, then whispering in his ears. It took Alec a second to realize that Magnus was whispering the dirtiest lines of the song to him. When the Warlock pulled back, he had a smirk on his face.

The curve of his lips held a challenge, an invitation. Alec surged forward, desiring to kiss that smirk right off the Warlock’s face. He could feel the curve of Magnus’s lips, clearly pleased he’d gotten his way. One step forward had his body pressed against Magnus’s. His fingers splayed over the vest, sliding up, and pushing off the unbuttoned jacket. Only once it hit the floor did Alec think he should have folded it or something. The thought left him as Magnus pressed against him, knocking his back into the corner of the counter.

He gripped the arm holes of the vest, and used it to switch their positions, a moment later, he had Magnus sitting on the counter, evening out their height difference. His fingers worked on the ornate buttons of the vest, but he fumbled when Magnus’s tongue touched his own. Forgetting his task, he let Magnus take control of the kiss, his hands gripping the thighs wrapped around his hips.

It felt as though the world froze the moment Magnus captured his bottom lip between his teeth, gently pulling it before releasing.

“Guys!” Jace covered his eyes with one hand, even as his lips curved into a smirk. “Get a room.”

“All of the rooms in this loft are mine,” Magnus said, glaring. “Including _the kitchen_!”  

“You know what I meant,” Jace said crossing the room, opening the fridge and pulling out two bottles of water. “I’ll let you guys get back to it.” And with that, he left.

Alec groaned, his forehead dropping to Magnus’s shoulder. “You know, I thought if he saw us together like this, it might remind him that we’re a couple, and that we might want to live like one instead of having a perpetual third wheel who keeps interrupting.”

Magnus’s blue fingernails lightly scraped over Alec’s scalp, and he shivered in response. “Well, if we’re fighting fire with fire, we’re going to need to up our game. A little kiss isn’t going to make Jace run for the hills.”

“Yeah, I know,” Alec had a mischievous smile when he pulled back. “But I’m going to have fun trying.”


	3. Innuendo

The birds were chirping as the sun rose over Brooklyn. The grass a vibrant shade of green thanks to the sprinkler system. Vibrant flowers lined the path, and gave a nice, soft scent to the area. Alec and Jace ran along the tree-lined path in sync with one another. They were well into their sixth mile, and were nearing Magnus’s loft.

“Care for a race?” Jace asked, his breath coming a little laboured.

“Alright,” Alec agreed.

Jace pushed a section of his hair off his sweaty forehead. “Wager?”

“Loser does the laundry,” Alec suggested. Neither enjoyed the task, and they frequently bet away their chores with such little games.

“First to the building, or to the loft?” Jace asked.

Alec took a moment to consider the pros and cons. “Loft.”

“Those stairs are going to be a bitch,” Jace panted, he glanced over. “Ready?”

“Go!” Alec shouted as he took off, lengthening his stride, giving him a bit of a lead.

Jace pulled ahead, his Stele still in hand, a freshly activated Speed Rune on his arm. “See you later!” he taunted with a little wave over his shoulder.

Alec grabbed his Stele, and activated his Speed, Strength, and Balance Runes. His long legs helped make up for some of the space. Knowing a short-cut from his time spent wandering the park with Magnus, he veered off to another path. Gravel crunched under his sneakers. He jumped up onto a beam on the bridge under repairs, and easily balanced as he rushed across. Landing, he went into a roll and back to his feet.

It felt like ages since he and Jace had time to do something like this. They always had something important to do, or other people with them. It felt good to have time to just goof off with his Parabatai. He could feel the buzz of adrenaline through their bond along with a familiar fondness that felt like a hug.

Stepping back onto the main path, he glanced over his shoulder to see Jace trailing. The blond laughed. “You won’t be in the lead long, Alec!” he shouted, rushing to catch up.

“We’ll see,” he yelled back. He followed the path a little longer till he came to the stone wall, and swung open the gate. Looking over his shoulder to see what kind of lead he had, he was surprised that Jace was nowhere in sight. Then it dawned on him. “That little…” he muttered as he took off running down the street, dodging a few early morning joggers. He turned the corner just in time to see Jace jump down off the wall nearly half a block ahead. “Damn it!”

“Didn’t say we had to stay on the path!” Jace laughed as he took off running again, with a pretty good lead. By the time he could see the building, Jace was already pulling the door open.

Knowing he would never be able to make up the time in the stairwell and hallways- especially since Jace would do anything to block him off, he turned down the alleyway. He ran and jumped- hitting one foot off the wall, and giving him the momentum to climb up on the dumpster. (Simon had once witnessed a similar move, and went on about some parkour movie he’d seen- Alec had promptly tuned him out.) He jumped, grabbing the bottom rung of the ladder, and climbed up onto the fire escape.

From the first level he could take the stairs up another six till he reached Magnus’s balcony. He hoped the fact that Jace wouldn’t hear him climbing the stairs would lull his brother into a false sense of security with his time. On Magnus’s fire escape, he pushed open the double doors, and practically fell in.

Magnus, his hair clearly still damp from his morning shower, poked his head around the corner, magic flaring around his hands until their eyes met. His face scrunched in confusion, the magic dissipating. “Alexander?”

The front door then opened, Jace walking in backward with a bit of a laugh, only for it to turn into an awkward squawk when he turned around. “What! How?”

Alec pointed his thumb at the fire escape, then put both hands on his knees. “Shortcut.”

Jace had his hands on his hips, but kind of bent forward. “Shit.”

“Have fun doing my laundry,” Alec panted.

Jace groaned.  

“What just happened?” Magnus asked, curiously. 

“A race,” Alec replied. “Which I won.” He pulled his sweat dampened shirt away from his chest, his nose wrinkling. “I’m going to shower.” He took in a few deep breaths, trying to calm his heartrate.

“Me too,” Jace said, wiping his hands over his face.

“Well, when you boys are done, breakfast on the roof,” Magnus said. “I’m nearly done, so be quick. You don’t want it cold.”

“Thanks, Magnus,” Jace said with a grin before he disappeared down the hall.

Alec smiled at his boyfriend. “You don’t have to make us breakfast, you know.”

“I know,” Magnus replied stepping closer. “But I like to.” He slowly raked his eyes over Alec’s body, then back to his face with a smirk. “Sweat looks good on you.”

“Uh,” Alec rubbed the back of his neck, not entirely sure what to say to that. “Thanks, I think?”

Magnus looked him over once more, then turned on his heel. “Get showered. I need to check the bacon.”

::

After showering, and dressing, Alec met Magnus and Jace on the roof. Alec found the table covered in breakfast foods, all prepared his favourite way. Bacon- chewy (there were a few crispy strips he knew Magnus had done specifically for Jace). Eggs- scrambled. French Toast- with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a tin of maple syrup beside it. Coffee- black, untouched, since he knew Alec liked putting just the right amount of sugar in himself, insisting everyone else put in either too little, or too much.  

“This looks amazing,” he sat down on the little couch next to Magnus, and kissed his boyfriend’s cheek. “Thank you.”

Magnus smiled over at him, grabbing his glass of orange juice. “You’re welcome.”

Alec grabbed a plate, and started to load it with food.

Jace pointed his fork in the direction of Alec’s plate. “That bacon isn’t cooked,” Jace warned with a frown. “You’re going to get salmonella or something.”

The comment earned Jace an affectionate eye roll. They’d had the conversation a few times before. Jace seemed to have an actual fear of Alec developing food poisoning. “Chewy does not mean undercooked,” Alec said patiently.  

Jace scoffed. “You like it raw.”

Magnus beamed. “He does.”

Both of the other men paused; Jace’s fork halfway to his mouth, maple syrup dripping off the square of French Toast, Alec had his teeth pressed into the bacon, but hadn’t pulled the strip away. Magnus snickered before taking a sip of his coffee.

Blushing a bold red, Alec finally pulled the strip away. He caught the mischievous smirk Magnus sent his way, and understood just what his boyfriend was doing. “I like my bacon chewy,” Alec stated. He gestured with his bacon strip to Jace’s plate.  “Not charcoal.”

Finally recovering, Jace rolled his eyes, and stuffed the piece of French toast in his mouth.  “We’ll agree to disagree.”

Now that the humiliation had lessened, and with some understanding that there had been purpose behind Magnus’s words other than to tease, Alec took another bite, and moaned at the flavour on his tongue. Jace chuckled at the sound.

Magnus glanced over with genuine surprise. Apparently he hadn’t expected Alec to join in. “Enjoying that, Darling?”

A smirk curved Alec’s lips, his blue eyes darting over to his boyfriend. “It’s my second favourite thing to have in my mouth.”

Jace choked on his orange juice, and coughed until he managed to get his airways clear. “By the Angel, Alec!”

Alec let out one of his rare, carefree laughs, Magnus joining in, Jace appeared startled for a moment before he too succumbed to the laughing fit.

“What did you do to my parabatai?” Jace asked in good humour. “You corrupted him.”

“Excuse me,” Magnus said with mock offense. “I am a wonderful influence.”

“Ba-Mags, can you give me some sugar,” Alec asked.

Instead of passing the sugar dish, Magnus quickly leaned over and captured Alec’s lips, his tongue gaining access with Alec’s surprise. The kiss didn’t last long, and the taste of oranges lingered on Alec’s tongue. Magnus had a smirk on his face as he tilted his head. “Sorry, did you mean actual sugar?”

“You two are insatiable,” Jace muttered. “And Alec, were you about to call him baby?” His voice pitched as he teased with a glint in his eyes. “Babe? Bae!”

“Shut up,” Alec muttered, taking the sugar dish from Magnus’s ringed hand.

“Watch it, Jace.” Magnus’s demeanor changed slightly, his body held a little tighter, his eyes with a bit more intensity.

Alec pressed his elbow into Magnus’s ribs to regain his attention. “He’s just teasing, it’s alright.”

Magnus’s posture eased up, but his eyes remained on the blond.  “You’re lucky, Jace. You have your own room here, you could be sleeping on the couch.” A smirk twitched at the corner of his lips. “It pulls out.” He glanced over at Alec, eyes flickering gold. “I don’t.”

Jace groaned, dropped his fork, and put his head in his hands. “Could you guys not?”

Alec couldn’t help but pull at the collar of his shirt, and stared at what remained of his breakfast trying not to think about what kind of picture Magnus’s words painted in his mind. He glanced at Magnus plate, which was mostly a stack of buttered toast and a few slices of bacon. Alec raised a brow at it. “You’re not having any eggs?”

Magnus remained quiet for a moment as he finished chewing on a slice of toast. “I’m not really one for scrambled.” It warmed Alec’s heart to know Magnus made the eggs scrambled simply because that was the way he liked them best. Magnus glanced at Jace who chewed and glared in warning at the same time. The Warlock smirked. “I like it hard,” he paused long enough to make Jace appear uncomfortable. “Boiled.”

The blond Shadowhunter appeared to be biting the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. Shaking his head caused his hair to fall around his face. He stabbed another piece of French toast, and ran it through some pooled maple syrup on his plate. “Unbelievable,” he muttered before taking a bite.

Finishing off his plate, Alec sat back with his half-finished mug of coffee. He bumped his knee against Magnus’s, and when those brown eyes met his, he smiled. “Thanks,” he whispered.

“My pleasure,” Magnus all but purred.

“What are we going to do for dinner?” Jace asked setting down his fork, letting out a deep breath. “Isn’t it Alec’s turn to cook?”

While Alec cooked better than his sister, he didn’t spend much time in the kitchen. For the most part he stuck with baking chicken breasts, throwing some rice in a pot, or making a simple pasta dish. “We could just,” he paused, and bit his bottom lip as he reconsidered his next words before plunging forward. “Eat out.”

Magnus covered his mouth with his hand, but it didn’t smother the laughter as intended.

Jace just shook his head, clearly at his wits end. Still, Alec felt Jace through the bond; calm, and warm, and comfortable- a lightness that hadn’t been there in weeks. However, Jace’s phone went off, and the calm became alertness, the warmth cooled, and the comfort turned wary. A second later, Alec’s phone went off too.

They both read through the mission report, and Alec set down his coffee mug, feeling a little sick. One look over at Jace, and even without the bond it would be clear he felt the same way.

“We have to nail this guy,” Jace said, his voice hard.  

Alec glared at his own phone, powering it down. He missed the ease in his parabatai. It had been so long since he felt it through the bond, and he longed to bring it back out again. “I’d rather nail Magnus.”

Jace was shocked into a smile, and their bond sharpened to battle-ready alertness as they stood together. “You’re just milking this for all it’s worth.”

Alec flushed at Jace’s innuendo. "I've been milking something." 

Jace looked skyward, like he was praying for strength.

Magnus grabbed his half-full glass of orange juice, and with a grand gesture, cleared the rest of the mess. “Do be safe, boys,” he advised, not completely able to hide the worry in his voice with flippant words. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t.”

“Got it,” Jace said with an eye roll. “Say ‘no’ to hot wax.”

Magnus raised a perfectly sculpted brow. “When did I ever say I’m not down for that?” Both Shadowhunters stared at him until he shrugged, and had a sip of his orange juice.

“We have to go,” Alec bent down and kissed Magnus with the ease of a man comfortable in his relationship. Even after he broke the kiss, he remained, one hand on the back of the couch. He tapped Magnus’s glass. “You’ve got your vitamin C, how about later I give you some vitamin d?”

“For the love of the Angel-I’ll meet you downstairs!” Jace made a hasty retreat inside, but Alec could practically feel the laughter vibrate through their bond and into his own chest.

Magnus kissed his jaw, then found his lips, the kiss messy with laughter. “I do adore you, you know?”

Alec bit his lip, and nodded. “I’ll see you soon,” Alec promised, dropping one more kiss to Magnus’s lips.


	4. Briefs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, originally this chapter was supposed to be way more awkward between Jace and Alec, but it just ended up being fluff, parabatai bonding, and just a bucket full of feelings. 
> 
> #sorrynotsorry

Magnus figured out early in his relationship with Alec that the young man had absolutely no voyeuristic tendencies. Even the sound of Jace and another woman through the walls made him incredibly uncomfortable. Thus, he felt no surprise when Alec pulled out of their kiss when he heard Jace in the other room, and rolled onto his back. His long arm reached out, and hit a few buttons on the digital alarm clock until the radio came on. The news informed them of a man who’d been struck by a bus, effectively killing any chances Magnus had of getting anywhere near his boyfriend’s dick.

With a great deal of frustration, and the news drowning out most of the sounds from the other room, the two men fell asleep.

The clock read 3:22 when Magnus’s eyes opened. He slid his hand along the sheets to find them warm, but empty. Dropping the glamour on his eyes, the night vision that came with having cat’s eyes settled in. He saw Alec reaching down, groping blindly at the floor, clearly not having an active Nyx Rune. He picked up a pair of boxer briefs, and stuck his feet in, pulling them up. They weren’t his, Magnus could tell from how he barely managed to get them over his thighs, much less get the waist band to where they needed to be.

Even though he couldn’t figure out why Alec didn’t just try to find something else, surely he wouldn’t be going far, couldn’t help the little smirk on his face at the sight of Alec’s ass in his briefs. He half expected him to just go into the adjoining bathroom, but instead left the bedroom.

Curiosity got the best of him, and Magnus silently got out of bed. He easily located Alec’s undergarments and pulled them on. Alec’s extra height and width left them a little loose, but the elastic band kept them up. Poking his head out, he spotted Alec slipping into Jace’s room. Jealousy, a sure sign of Magnus’s old insecurities boiled in his veins.

Stepping barefoot down the hall, he made no sound. He leaned around the doorframe to get a clear look into Jace’s room and what he saw had his breath catch in his chest. Silent, but clearly distraught in his sleep, Jace had kicked down the blankets, his fingers clenched, and twisted in the fitted sheet under him. His face pinched as if in pain, his breath heaved with quick, panicked breaths.

“Shh, it’s okay,” Alec’s voice, a barely there whisper as he sat down on the bed. “I’m here Jace. You’re okay.” The archer’s scarred fingers brushed some of Jace’s hair aside, and then continued the soothing motion of running his fingers through the soft blond hair. The hands in the sheet loosened their grip. “You’re okay.” Alec hummed, a tune soft and hauntingly sweet- a lullaby that Magnus couldn’t place. When it ended, Jace’s hands had released the sheet, and his face had started to show signs of relaxing. Alec settled his fingertip over Jace’s parabatai rune, and traced it.  “Everything’s okay, Jace. Everyone is okay.”

Alec hummed the lullaby again, and by the time he had finished, Jace laid at ease, his breathing soft and even. Alec stood, slid his hand down the bed, feeling for the lost blanket, and pulled it over Jace. After kissing the other man’s temple, Alec turned and let out a little squeak that was so un-Alec that Magnus almost laughed.

At first, he wondered how Alec saw him when he’d been blinded by the darkness, but remembered the slight glow to his eyes. “Come on,” he whispered walking up to Alec, and taking his hand. “I’ll get us back to bed.” He did so effortlessly, guiding Alec around the door to his room, and with a wave of his hand, lit the candles he had around so Alec could safely get back to bed on his own, and Magnus could check out his ass in better lighting.  

“Magnus?” Alec whispered, sitting on the bed, grabbing the other man by the hips. “Please, don’t say anything to Jace.”

Magnus tilted his head to the side. “Jace doesn’t know?”

“I don’t think so,” Alec admitted.

“Does he get nightmares like that often?”

He felt Alec’s breath against his chest. “Not usually, but since he’s come back,” Alec trailed off, his forehead falling forward to rest against Magnus’s chest. Without a thought of it, Magnus threaded his fingers through Alec’s hair. “It’s been more frequent as of late.”

“I didn’t hear him,” Magnus said straddling Alec, the jealousy from early finally dissolving with the understanding that what Alec had done was strictly platonic.

Alec’s hand’s grabbed his hips, and pulled him closer. “He never makes a sound in his sleep.”

“Then how did you know?”

Alec shifted a little, keeping Magnus on top of him, until he could lay down, his head on one of the pillows, Magnus’s body over him. “Our bond.”

“It woke you up?”

“Kind of.” Alec traced the line of Magnus’s spine slowly. “When he falls asleep it feels… soft and quiet, and then silence. Nightmares feel like,” he bit his lip, clearly searching for the best way to explain. “Like fear, or panic, but still stuck in the soft quiet part. I think it’s the suddenness of the change that wakes me up. I didn’t mean to disrupt your sleep.”

“That’s okay,” Magnus nuzzled against Alec. “Is Jace okay?”

“Yeah, for now,” Alec said before yawning.

“Get some rest,” Magnus whispered. And with the sound of Alec’s heart beating under him, Magnus fell back to sleep.

::

At some point in the night, Magnus had rolled away from Alec, and thus woke sprawled awkwardly, his one foot hanging over the bed. He rubbed his eyes and heard Alec shuffle down the hall in his typical pre-caffeinated way. Sleepy, cuddly, grumpy, quiet, morning Alec was one of his favourites. All the man usually wanted in the morning was some quiet, some cuddles on the couch, and a big mug of coffee, and after a half-hour he’d be fully awake and ready for the day.

Magnus kicked off the blankets, and stepped out of bed, realizing he still wore Alec’s plain black boxer briefs.

_Which means..._

“Shit!” Magnus rushed out, of the bedroom, dashed down the hall. Maybe he’d be lucky. Maybe Jace was still sleeping in his bedroom. He knew Alec would be getting his morning coffee and ran into the kitchen.

Jace was working on making breakfast, his back turned to them. He also seemed to understand Alec didn’t like small talk in the morning, and the two were silent. Magnus stepped around the island in the middle, grabbed Alec’s arm and tried pulling him. Alec just grumpily shook him off as he continued to stare at the coffee maker as it percolated.

“Alec!” Magnus hissed. Blue eyes flickered over, clearly unamused.

Before Magnus could get another word in, Jace turned with the frying pan in hand. Bicoloured eyes stared at Alec with shock, he then burst out laughing so hard his hands shook. He put the pan back on the stove top, covered his eyes with his hands. “Alec!”

“Wha’d’yawant?” Alec muttered. He glanced over at Jace, then back to Magnus, a brow raised.  Magnus pointed his fingers down his own body to the boxers that hung on his hips. Alec’s eyes followed the motion, and he stared confused. “Those are mine.” He stared a little longer, then his eyes widened comically before glancing down at himself. “Oh, fuck!” He quickly dropped his hands down over himself.

Magnus’s own gold mesh boxer briefs left nothing to the imagination. Under any other circumstances he’d love to see Alec in them. The blush ran down Alec’s neck, and reddened his chest. “I’m gonna,” he pointed to the doorway and made a quick escape.

“Is Alec’s golden dick out of the room?” Jace asked, snickering.

Instead of answering verbally, Magnus grabbed a tangerine from the fruit bowl, and threw it at Jace’s chest.

Jace just laughed, and finally dropped his hands. “I don’t want to know, I really don’t.”

“He accidentally put them on last night,” Magnus snapped. “And do not tease him about it. It’s all your fault.”

“How is it my fault he put on the wrong boxers?” Jace asked, finally putting the pancakes onto a plate. “You think he would have noticed they’re gold.”

“It was the middle of the night, he was half asleep.”

“What was he doing up at that time?” Jace glanced over his shoulder, and Magnus promptly shut his mouth. Jace continued to stare, as if, if he stared long enough, he’d uncover the truth. “Oh,” he said softly. “I thought I felt him.”

“What?”

“Last night.” Jace flushed, and turned his back to grab the strawberries from the fridge. “Our bond, I felt him through it last night.”

Magnus sat on one of the stools around the island as Jace started cutting up the strawberries. “What did you feel?” Jace paused, his stare so intense Magnus swallowed hard past the lump that had grown in his throat. “You don’t have to tell me, I’m just being nosey, I guess. That kind of bond, it’s interesting. And since I’m with Alec… I guess I’m just curious as to how it works.”

Jace nodded then, and returned to his task. “Think of your favourite place, a quiet one.”

“Okay,” Magnus drawled out the word, confused.

“Think of being there, and having a big blanket wrapped around you.” The knife easily cut through the strawberry, but never nicked Jace’s quick fingers. “You’re safe, and warm, and calm.”

“Okay,” Magnus said, still not following.

“That’s what Alec feels like.”

“Oh,” Magnus said softly. It sounded wonderful, and so perfectly Alec. For a moment, he envied the bond Jace had with Alec.

“That’s his default state anyway, when his guard is down, obviously it’s not when we’re fighting demons, or when he’s angry or whatever.”

“What do you feel like to him?”

“Don’t know,” Jace shrugged. “Never asked him.”

“How have you not? Aren’t you curious?” Magnus asked.

“I guess I just kind of assumed it’s the same?” Jace shrugged, and glanced up. Sure enough, Alec stood, leaning against the doorframe. As if to make up for his earlier near nudity, he had sweatpants, and a t-shirt on. “Is it?”

Alec shook his head. “No.”

“Really?” Jace put the knife down. “What do I feel like then?”

“I don’t know that I can explain it,” Alec shuffled into the room, clearly lured by the coffee. “You’re like…” he paused, pouring his coffee into the first mug he grabbed. It was black, and read _‘Fly and Bi’_ in silver glitter. “Okay, you know that feeling when you’re underwater, and you’re under for too long, and you keep trying to get to the surface and your lungs are burning and feel like they’re going to give out.”

Magnus felt his heart drop, and felt sick to his stomach. Deep breath in through his nose, and a long exhale.

Jace didn’t look much better. “That’s… that’s how I make you feel?” Jace asked, looking horrified at the thought.

“No,” Alec dumped the correct amount of sugar into his coffee and took the first revitalizing sip. “You feel like that first breath when you finally break the surface.”  He looked over at his Parabatai. “You feel like relief, like I can breathe, like I’ll be okay.”

They shared a smile.

Magnus let out a breath, and watched as Alec took another sip of his coffee, the smile remaining when he set down his mug. “So, any of those for me?” Alec said, eyeing the pancakes.

Jace pulled down two plates and put them in front of Magnus and Alec, and then pushed the berries and pancakes forward. “Yep.”

Alec’s eyebrows jumped. “You’re not eating them?”

“I got up early, had an apple, not really hungry,” Jace said, walking behind them to get himself a mug of coffee.

“Then why make breakfast if you aren’t going to eat?” Alec asked, but moved a couple of pancakes to his plate.

“You both still need to eat,” Jace said, as if it were obvious.

Magnus scooped up some berries, but glanced at Alec. Blue eyes narrowed, then Alec turned in the stool. “Are you up to something? Is there hot pepper in this or something?”

“What? No,” Jace shook his head, but turned around with a mug Magnus had purchased for Alec which read ‘ _better gay than grumpy.’_ “What? I can’t just do something nice for you guys?”

Alec took a bite of the pancake, still clearly suspicious until he swallowed. He then shrugged at Magnus. “Pretty good.”

Jace made a ‘tsk’ sound with his tongue. “I know you’re a less than stellar cook, Alec, you hardly have room to judge. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I told Clary I’d do some training with her today.” He looked as though he’d rather do anything else. He took the coffee mug with him, and paused in the doorway. “And Alec. Thanks for last night.” He cast a wink and then disappeared down the hall.

“Jerk,” Alec muttered fondly.

“He knows,” Magnus said.

“Figured,” Alec replied, cutting into his pancakes.

Magnus poked one of the strawberry halves with his fork. “So… might I be able to get an encore of you in those briefs?”

Alec smirked just a little. His hand slipped off the table, and Magnus’s eyes followed. His thumb pulled the waistband of the sweatpants down, just a little, just enough for the peek at gold.

After a second of staring, Magnus’s lips curved. “Excellent.”


	5. Dirty Talk

The crowded bar made Alec’s skin crawl. Downworlders stared at him, at his runes. Whispers of ‘Shadowhunter,’ was spoken like something foul. Jace stood in the alleyway, while Clary stood at the front door, both of them making sure their target didn’t escape. The mission was simple, get to the Seelie named Sylvan, bring him to the Institute for Aldertree to question.

The mission should have gone to Isabelle. Her addiction made her unreliable, and Alec hadn’t been able to get a hold of her. She understood Seelies better than the rest of them, she could manage to keep secrets while prying them out. She had a talent with her words, and an understanding of their customs.

Alec looked around, walking slowly through the bar until he spotted the man who matched the pictures. Like most fey, he had delicate bone structure, and his high cheekbones only served to focus attention to his eyes like cut sapphires. White blond hair fell past his shoulders, parts of it pulled back, other bits braided. The silk shirt he wore had only a few buttons at the bottom, his hairless exposed chest had a light spattering of freckles. He sat between a man and a woman, both of which were showering him with attention.

Reaching up, he touched his still glamoured bow to reassure himself before stepping forward. The Seelies didn’t greet him when he stood across from them. In fact, they pointedly ignored him.

“Sylvan.”

The Seelie’s deep blue eyes turned his way. “Shadowhunter.”

Alec stood a little straighter, most found his height at least a little intimidating. “I need you to come with me.”

Those eyes slowly raked over Alec’s body with the kind of intensity that made him feel naked despite the multiple layers he wore. Sylvan sighed. “Can’t a man at least finish his drink?”

The request sounded reasonable, however Alec knew how tricky Seelie’s could be. “No, you’re needed for questioning with the Clave.”

“Look, I will leave with you-“ he stared and Alec had to fight an eye roll.

“Alec.”

“Alec, I will leave with you quietly,” Sylvan promised. He raised a hand, and motioned for more drinks. “If you just sit, have a drink with me, then we will go.”

Other than Sylvan’s companions, there were many other Seelies in the bar watching him. Other Downworlders, a spattering of Werewolves, and a few he presumed were Warlocks were eyeballing him warily. If he tried to drag Sylvan out by force, it could end badly. Thinking of his only back up being Jace, and Clary he relented.

“One drink,” Alec said, sitting down.

“One drink,” Sylvan assured. “Lovely, thank you,” he said to the waitress, another Seelie who set down their drinks. He pushed forth one of the drinks, and took the other. “Drink up.”

Alec took the red, fruity shot down in one go. It had a light burn of alcohol, and left the taste of cherries on his tongue. Not unpleasant, although he figured he’d be in for a rough night if he got drunk off of something so sweet.

“Good man,” Sylvan said, slowly finishing off his drink. He said something to the man beside him, kissed his female companion’s hand, and stood. “Now, I am a man of my word.”

Alec nodded, and stood. His legs felt a little tingly, as though they’d gone to sleep. “Thank you,” he said, trying not to relay his discomfort as his fingers started to tingle too.

Sylvan’s fingernails were cut to a point, and painted gold, something Alec noticed as they came to stroke his jawline. “Don’t you have somewhere you want to be, Alec?”

“Yes?” Alec knew they had somewhere to be, and even though his mind felt hazy, he still felt calm.

“Right, I promised I would leave here with you,” Sylvan said, smiling. “So let’s go.”  

They walked side by side, and Alec couldn’t make his eyes focus on anything they passed. “I want Magnus,” he slurred, swaying slightly as everything became clear, then fuzzy again.

Sylvan’s hands steadied Alec, with a little chuckle. “You should go to Magnus then,” Sylvan said, his voice little more than a whisper.

That sounded like a great idea. _Magnus_. Magnus always sounded like a great idea. “I like him.” Alec said, swaying heavily on Sylvan, but the Seelie didn’t appear bothered by the weight. “A lot.”

The comment actually brought a brief flash of surprise onto the Downworlder’s face. “Really?”

“Yes. He’s so nice,” Alec said. “And magical.”

“Well, he is a warlock.”

“It’s more than that,” Alec argued. “It’s _Magnus_.” And with Magnus on his mind, the two stepped out, and Alec spotted Clary. “You!”

“Me?” Clary stared at him confused.

“Yeah!” Alec swayed his weight away from Sylvan, and nearly smothered Clary in a hug. “I really, really, really, really think you’re awesome.”

“Alec, what the Hell?”

“But, you know, things happened, and I didn’t like you, but you’re a really nice person Clary Fray.”

“Thanks? But Alec-“

“And after… after the possession, and you… you still don’t hate me.”

“Alec, we’ve been through this, no, I don’t hate you.” Clary wiggled in his arms, and it tickled his ribs which made him let go.

His legs, still numb and tingly gave out, and he fell back onto the sidewalk. “Ow.”

Jace came out of the alleyway, and took in the scene. “By the Angel! What happened?”

Clary turned all the way around. “Damn it!”

“Sylvan came quietly with me, just like he said,” Alec informed.

“And now he’s gone,” Jace said, hands on his hips as he stared down at Alec. “What did he do to you?”

“We just had a drink together,” Alec said, staring over Jace’s head at an old styled street lamp. “Just one. It tasted pretty good. Can we go see Magnus? He tastes good too.”

Clary burst out laughing, and Jace just groaned.

::

It took some maneuvering, but Jace and Clary managed to get Alec back to Magnus’s loft. Being so small, Clary couldn’t do much to support Alec, and thus Jace practically dragged his parabatai along. Luckily, Alec managed most of his own weight by the time they neared the loft, but constantly needed guidance since his mind would constantly change direction. This included a lost ten minutes of them trying to get Alec past a building with old sidewalks to which he kept stepping carefully muttering, ‘don’t step on a crack, or you’ll break your mother’s back.’

“Finally made it,” Clary said. “Come on, Magnus is upstairs.”

“Yeah, he’s my boyfriend,” Alec said with a slight flush, and a lost glaze in his eyes.

“I know,” Clary said kindly walking backward, beckoning him to follow. “He’s this way, come on.”

Alec stumbled along, bumping into Jace. “You’re my Parabatai.”

“I know,” Jace said with a grin.

He enveloped Jace with a rib-crushing hug. “You’re my best friend. I love you, man.”

Jace patted his back. “Love you too,” he managed with what little air he had left. “Can’t breathe, buddy.”

Alec pulled back looking sheepish. “Sorry.”

“That’s okay, come on, to Magnus’s,” Jace said, redirecting him toward the door. “We got to find out what that Seelie gave you.”

Clary didn’t bother knocking, and just swung open the door. Alec could easily see over Clary’s head, and Magnus had moved his furniture so he could do yoga in the middle of the room. Currently in Standing Bow Pose, (something Alec only knew thanks to Isabelle,) Magnus’s skin on display, a pair of plain black shorts not detracting from the lines of muscles.

“Holy shit,” Alec muttered, his tongue feeling a little numb.

Magnus turned his head, his fingers released the leg bent high behind him, and that leg slowly lowered to the ground. “You lot finished for the evening?”

“There’s been an incident,” Jace said, the words coming slow, and nervous.

“That was so hot,” Alec breathed. “You need to do yoga more often when I’m here.”

Magnus’s eyes widened, a brow rising. “What happened?” he asked, wiping his brow with a small towel as he approached the little group.

“We were supposed to bring a Seelie in for questioning,” Jace answered. “And instead, he gave Alec something-“

“It was pretty good-“

“Shut up, Alec.”

“That’s not nice,” Alec pouted.

“And he’s been like this ever since. And we lost the Seelie,” Jace groaned. “I couldn’t take Alec back to the Institute like this. Aldertree would have a field day. I don’t know what it was-“

Alec couldn’t find it in himself to continue paying attention to Jace. Not when there was a bead of sweat taunted him with its slow slide down Magnus’s neck. He took a slow step forward, then another, until he could reach out and grab Magnus by the hips.

“Alexander,” the soft purr of Magnus’s voice barely tugged at his focus.

He leaned down, tracing the path of that teasing drop of sweat with his tongue. Magnus’s hands clenched in his shirt, and it made Alec _want_. Everything was fuzzy, but the world felt better nuzzling into the juncture where Magnus’s neck meets shoulder.

“-Can you do something about it?” Jace’s voice came back into focus.

“We still need to find Sylvan,” Clary said.

Jace shook his head. “I can’t just leave him like this!” Alec felt a prickle of anger-fear through the parabatai bond and pressed his body closer to Magnus’s.

“With the bond, would you know if it was really bad?” Magnus asked, moving backward, bringing Alec with him.

“I-I don’t know,” Jace admitted. “Whatever was in that drink it just makes him so unclear. It almost feels like he’s half-asleep, and not really aware of anything, or struggling to stay conscious. I don’t like it.”

“Okay,” Magnus brought him over to the couch. “Sit down, Darling.”

Alec drew back just a little. “Do you want to order me around?” A smirk made him look younger than his years. “I’d be okay with it.”

Magnus put his hands on Alec’s shoulders, gently guiding the swaying body. “Please, just… sit.”

Following the order, Alec sat down. He looked around, his attention slipping to the pretty flicker of the candle, and when he reached out to touch it, Clary swatted his hand away. He drew his hand to his chest and glared at her.

He heard the murmur of words, but couldn’t make himself focus on them anymore. Especially when Magnus’s abs were at eye level. The smooth skin demanded attention, how he wanted to worship the muscular plains with his lips, teeth, tongue-

“-Ander, Alexander? Alec!”

Realizing that Magnus was calling him, he forced his eyes up. “Hi.”

“I need you to try to focus,” Magnus said softly.

“I was,” Alec said, his fingertips touching the abs he fantasized about. “I was focussing here.”

“Concentrate,” Magnus said lifting his hands, flickers of blue flames dancing over his fingertips.

“I can’t,” Alec admitted breathless. “All I can think about is getting your body under mine.”

Magnus closed his eyes, and his fists balled up, killing the flames. “Clary, there is a book on the shelf, it’s on Seelie potions. Grab it for me.” With a deep breath, the flames returned to Magnus’s fingers and he smoothed his hands down Alec’s chest.

The magic felt warm, and left Alec’s skin tingling even with the layers between those magical hands and his own flesh. “That feels so good.”

“There isn’t anything poisonous in his bloodstream,” Magnus said muttered as Alec traced his fingertips along the inside of Magnus’s forearm. The light ministrations made Magnus shudder, and when Alec’s hand went to the bare skin of Magnus’s waist, he pulled back. The Warlock grabbed the sleeveless shirt from the chair. Alec stood too suddenly and nearly lost his balance, Magnus caught him and dropped the shirt in the process. “Woah, careful, Alec.”

Alec giggled- _giggled._ The wrongness of it hit then eased away into nothingness. “I’m falling for you,” he said with a wide smile. He pulled Magnus close, enjoying having him in his arms. “I’d love to make your glamour fall like I did the other day,” he whispered against Magnus’s ear. “With my cock buried inside of you.”

“Clary, any time today!” Magnus shouted.

“By. The. Angel.” Alec turned to see Jace turning beet red.

“What?”

“What? Really? What?” Jace gave a bark of laughter. “I can hear you, you know.”

Alec glared, and held Magnus tighter. “I was whispering.”

“No. No you weren’t,” Jace replied with a stern face, his lips twitching ever so slightly.

Clary said something, but her words were lost to the buzzing in Alec’s head. His attention shifted to the pattern on one of Magnus’s many throw pillows, a colour that reminded him of Magnus’s lips. With that prompt, Alec turned his attention back to his boyfriend’s face, the light reflecting off of the glitter he wore. Giving into desire, his lips found Magnus’s. His hands gripping Magnus by the waist, pulling him closer.

Magnus stiffened, and pulled back, Alec’s lips chasing, only to be yanked backward by the collar of his shirt, and jacket. Jace’s hands pushed him back down on the couch, and he stared over him, glaring. “Stay put.”

He glowered at Jace. “But I want Magnus.”

“Too bad,” Jace snapped. “Clary, today!”

“Mags?” Alec pouted and stared up at Magnus with one hand slightly reached out. Magnus took it, and held tight, a small smile still on his lips. Alec, became enamoured with the dark purple nail polish. “Even your fingernails are pretty.” He glanced up to see a fond smile on Magnus’s face.

“Found it!” Clary returned with the book raised over her head, and brought it to Magnus.

Magnus pulled his hand back to grab the book. “Alright,” Magnus flipped the pages with his lovely fingers.

“I’m envious of a book,” Alec muttered. They three stared at him. “What? I can think of better things you could be doing with those fingers, Magnus.”

“Oh my,” Clary said with a giggle.

“Do either of you know what colour the drink was?” Magnus asked.

Clary and Jace looked to each other, but both shrugged.

“It was red,” Alec said. “Tasted like cherries.”  

Magnus studied him for a second, before flipping through the book. “I think I might know what this is.”

“Is it dangerous?” Jace asked, clearly on edge.

Alec’s attention slipped back to Magnus’s thighs shown off in the tight black shorts as he chewed on his bottom lip. “You know, I could spend all day between your thighs.”

“Alec, please. Stop talking,” Jace said before turning his attention back to Magnus. “Dangerous?”

“Not really, ah, here it is,” Magnus’s finger dragged over the text as he read. “If I’m right, it wears off in a couple of hours.”

Clary crowded in to see the text. “What side-effects does it have?”

“Essentially, it makes the drinker highly intoxicated, not to the same degree that mundane drinks would, it’s Seelie in origin and a bit more powerful. The drinker can’t focus, or can only focus in on one thing at a time, or in spurts of focus and then utter lack of attention. They become drawn to the things they already like or enjoy. That’s why he went so willingly with you two.”

“He just wanted to come and see you,” Clary said with a grin.

“And apparently he’s a horny drunk,” Jace muttered.

“I’m not drunk, I had one drink,” Alec argued. “Wanting to get Magnus naked has nothing to do with alcohol. I always want to get Magnus naked, it’s just not socially acceptable. And I have a job.” He frowned. “It’s really inconvenient.”

Clary covered her mouth, clearly trying to smother her laughter. “Will he remember this later?”

“It’s hard to say,” Magnus admitted, frown-lines appearing in his brow.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Alec stood slowly, and wrapped his arms around Magnus. “Don’t be sad. I can make you feel good.”

“No, Alec,” Magnus gently pushed him back so they were an arm’s length apart. “You’re not in your right frame of mind. I won’t take advantage of you.”

“I really want you to,” Alec whispered. Magnus shut his eyes. “Tell me what you want, I’ll give it to you. I can get on my knees like the other night with your hands in my hair and your cock throbbing in my mou-“

Magnus’s hand covered Alec’s mouth with wide-eyed shock. “Alexander!” he slowly annunciated each syllable.

Alec gently pulled on the hand until the fingertips were resting against his bottom lip. “I like it when _you_ use my full name.” His tongue darted out, as he pulled Magnus’s wrists, getting two of his fingers into his mouth, and sucking hard.

Magnus leaned a little looking past Alec. “You two need to leave.”

“I’m not leaving him like this,” Jace argued. “He’s not in his right mind!”

Magnus’s magic pulsed, objects around the loft rattled under the sudden pressure. “Are you suggesting I’d take advantage of-“ Alec’s groan as his body tilted forward, Magnus pulled his fingers away from Alec’s mouth, and wrapped his arms around Alec, holding him close. “Alexander!”

“What happened to him?” Jace asked, sounding panicked. “Was it your magic?”

“No,” Magnus said. “My magic wouldn’t hurt him.”

“All that power,” Alec mouthed along Magnus’s collarbone, “is so arousing.”

“I wasn’t suggesting you’d take advantage of him,” Jace said, eyeing the two. “I was suggesting he’s not in his right frame of mind.”

Alec prickled at the words as they finally got in the right order through the fog in his mind. “So you’re suggesting I would take advantage of Magnus.”

Jace put up his hands. “I don’t want you doing anything you’d regret, Alec. You should really try sleeping this off.”

“I don’t want to sleep, I want-“

“Yeah, I know what you want,” Jace said loudly to cut Alec off.

“No, you don’t understand,” Alec argued. “He does this thing with his tongue-“

“I really don’t need to know the details!”

“Neither do I,” Clary said. “Come on Jace, we need to find Sylvan. Magnus has this, right?”

“I’ve had more difficult tasks than dealing with a horny boyfriend,” Magnus said.

“Hey,” Alec perked up. “If you don’t want me to suck you off, you could ri-“

“Alec!” Magnus’s eyes flashed and it was enough to silence Alec. “How about I give you _whatever_ you want after a nap? How does that sound?”

Alec considered it for a second, looking over Magnus’s body, imagining all the things he wanted to do. “Okay, but only if you nap with me.”

Magnus gave him an affectionate look. “Alright, Darling.” He gently pushed him toward the hallway that lead to the bedrooms. “I’ll take good care of him.”

“I bet you will,” Clary teased, and laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know when Jace being protective of Magnus became my weakness, but fuck, it is.


	6. Sexting

The morning after the drunken haze, Alec woke up with a bit of a headache, and a mouth that felt like sandpaper. He felt less like walking death after he brushed his teeth, and stepped into the shower. He tried to think about the mission, and coming home, but he couldn’t. He switched the showerhead to pulse and stood under it, letting it massage the tension from his shoulders.

He remembered getting the mission from Aldertree. He went to the bar with Jace, and Clary. He found the Seelie who matched the pictures. And then...

And then?

_Magnus in Standing Bow Pose. Clary’s tinkling laughter. Jace turning red._

The memories didn’t make any sense, they had no context in his mind.

 _“I like it when_ you _use my full name.” The flicker of Magnus’s glamoured eyes, and the feel of those fingers in his mouth._

“Oh fuck,” Alec muttered as the memories started to flood him.

::

Soft classical music played quietly in the kitchen. Jace and Magnus were both at the stove, Magnus putting some cheese onto something. Alec stealthily moved closer to the coffeemaker, blessedly with a full pot. He heard the oven door open, and the slide of a pan against the rack. He grabbed his _‘Better gay than grumpy’_ mug, it made him feel ridiculously at home that he had his very own mug in Magnus’s loft.

“Good morning, Alexander,” Magnus said. He had concern in his kohl lined eyes. “How are you feeling?”

“Uh,” he felt his ears burning with embarrassment. “Fine.”

“Good,” Jace said. “ _So,_ how much do you remember from last night?” When Alec groaned, and covered his face with his hands, Jace chuckled. “So, all of it. Oh man!”

“Please, don’t,” Alec muttered miserably.

Jace picked up a mug that had a simple arrow wrapping around the circumference. “I never fully understood the term ‘heart eyes’ until you looked at Magnus doing that stretching stuff-“

“Yoga, Jace, it’s called yoga,” Magnus informed in a dry manner.

“Whatever,” Jace said with a laugh. He took a sip of his coffee, and leaned against the counter. “Bro, you had _no_ filter. None.”

Alec glared, blindly dumping a spoonful of sugar into his mug. “Shut it.”

Jace laughed. “You have a very dirty mind when intoxicated.”

“Stop teasing, Alexander,” Magnus said, turning on the oven light to check the dish without opening the door. “Otherwise, you get no breakfast.”

“That’s hardly fair,” Jace pouted. “I helped make it.”

“My house, my rules,” Magnus replied with a tiny smirk and a shrug of his shoulders.

Jace sighed, and rolled his eyes. “Fine.” His phone went off, and a second later Alec’s did too. They both glanced at their phones, their eyes met, and Alec chugged part of his coffee. “I got to change.”

“Me too,” Alec said, taking his mug with him. He passed Jace’s… _the guest room_ , and walked casually into Magnus’s room.

It was too early to speak of moving in with each other, but Magnus’s loft held evidence of Alec all over it. From his mug (and mugs that kept appearing in obvious reference to Alec), to the Seraph blade he kept in a case under the couch, to the sweater draped over the back of vanity chair. Given that Alec ended up staying over some nights, he had a night table, two drawers was plenty of room for a few spare changes of clothes, and an extra Stele.

He pulled the light grey t-shirt over his head, and pulled on a black one. He already wore his black jeans, and socks, and he spent a bit of time looking around for his jacket. “Looking for this?” Magnus asked stepping in, and closing the door behind himself.

“Yeah, thanks.” Alec took it, and put his arm through the first arm hole.

“Look about Jace-“ Magnus’s words were enough for Alec to pause what he was doing and stare. “It wasn’t right of him to tease you over what happened last night. In fact, if he were a better Parabatai-“

“Magnus,” Alec used his name like a warning. “Jace did exactly what he was supposed to. I never should have accepted the drink.”

“But the Seelies would have seen the refusal as an insult,” Magnus shook his head. “You shouldn’t have been alone.”

“I wasn’t, I had Jace and Clary-“

“Well, they should have done something!”

Alec finally managed to put his coat on. “Is this because I embarrassed you?”

“Embarrassed?” Magnus’s face held confusion before he softened and shook his head. “No, I’m not embarrassed. I-I just…” He sighed, his hands coming to rest on Alec’s shoulders, his eyes focused on Alec’s chest like he was afraid to make eye contact. “What if it wasn’t something to just make you highly intoxicated? There are far worse outcomes to Seelie’s tricks.”

Alec sighed. “It’s not Jace’s fault, but I’ll be more careful. I promise.”

Magnus nodded. “Okay. But for his comments, I’ll be getting him back. Plus, we haven’t really talked about that devious little plan of yours.” He finally looked up and smiled. “I have the next phase all planned out.”

“Oh really?” Alec raised a brow. “Are you going to let me in on it?”

“The less you know, probably the better,” Magnus replied rather cryptically.

“It’s not going to be too extreme though, right?” Alec’s face pinched at the thought. “I think I traumatised him enough last night.”

Magnus waved a hand dismissively, all glittering rings and dark nail polish. “It would be good for him, and us if he just-“

Three loud bangs on the door stalled their conversation. “Come on, Alec! We don’t have time for any of the suggestions you made last night!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Alec replied sharply. “I’m coming.”

“I thought you’d have better stamina than that,” Jace cackled.

Alec glared at the door, then glanced at Magnus. “You know what, do it,” Alec said. “Whatever it is, just do it.”

Magnus beamed. “Do be safe, Darling. And… just roll with it.”

Alec didn’t have time to figure out Magnus’s plan, not with Jace banging on the door. He kissed Magnus, and strode out, swatting his parabatai on the arm on his way past.

::

With blades coated in ichor, they walked through the storm drain. Jace managed to just be able to walk upright, Alec on the other hand had to remain slightly bent over. Fighting that way had been quite the pain, and he had forgotten in the heat of battle and nearly gave himself a concussion standing up too fast and smashing his head on the concrete above. An Iratze from Jace had cleared up the cut on the top of his head, but blood still coated his hair in that section.

Ahead, they could see the light coming from where they had walked in. “Finally,” Jace said. “I can’t wait to really stretch out.”

“I’m nearly a foot taller than you,” Alec muttered bitterly, his bow grazed the ceiling, and he tugged it down so it wouldn’t be damaged.

Jace turned rather gracefully on his heel and looked about ready to say something when his phone pinged. “Oh, cell service is back in. Want to bet it’s Aldertree putting me back on ichor duty?”

“Good, my blade is a mess,” Alec replied, ignoring Jace’s glare.

Jace looked back down at his phone, his head cocking to the side. “Huh.”

“What?”

“It’s from Magnus.”

Alec frowned as Jace actually stopped. He couldn’t get around him without stepping into the water, and he’d already dumped water out of his boots after battle, he didn’t plan on making it any worse. Since he couldn’t get around, he looked over Jace’s shoulder to see the phone as Jace opened the message.

_‘I have a BIG surprise for you when you get home.’_

Jace glanced over his shoulder. “Any ideas?”

“Don’t know,” Alec shrugged. “Maybe he redecorated you room. He did say something about painting it falu.”

Jace grimaced. “Falu? Is that a style? Or a colour?”

Alec rubbed the back of his aching neck. “Not sure.”

“You didn’t ask?”

“It’s his home,” Alec replied. “He can do whatever he wants. Now, can we please get out of here? My back is killing me.”

“Yeah, sorry,” Jace tucked his phone away, and they made it to the stairs before his phone went off again.

“Please, check that once we’re already out of here,” Alec begged. Jace jogged up the steps, and shoved open the large grate metal door they’d busted the lock on. Alec followed him out, and let out a sigh of relief when he could finally stretch, his back cracking as he did so. “So, what did Magnus say?” Jace pulled his phone back out of his pocket, while Alec sat down on the side of the hill, and pulled off his soaked boots.

“He said, _‘I really think you’re going to like this.’_ ” Jace shook his head. “It came with a winking face. I didn’t think he would be so invested in my opinion of his decorating skills.”

Alec pulled off one of his socks and wrung it out, surprised by how much water it could actually hold. Yanking off the other sock, he wrung it out as well, and set them aside, not too invested in putting back on his wet footwear.

Jace sat down beside him, untying his bootlaces enough that he could pull them off. One of them he turned upside down and a bit of water poured out. “I hate missions in storm drains.”

“I second that,” Alec said, laying back on the grass, the warmth of the sun nice on his bare feet.

Another notification ding went off. “Do you mind opening that?” Jace asked as he pulled off his first sock able to ring it out as Alec had.

Alec swiped to unlock Jace’s phone. “A preview, something to get you excited for later,” Alec read. Another ding, and a message attachment asked to be downloaded.

“He clearly doesn’t know me that well if he thinks a redecoration of my room is going to get me really excited,” Jace said as he wrung out his second sock.

“It came with an attachment,” Alec said. “Do you want me to download it?”

“Yeah, sure, let’s see what fulu is-“

“Falu.”

“Whatever,” Jace leaned into Alec as the download bar appeared.

They were both leaning against each other as a video started. Red rope around wrists, a man with dark hair moaned loudly, back arching from the bed as another man kissed his neck.

Jace’s jaw dropped. “What the-“

The camera zoomed out for a full view of both men, hips thrusting and punctuated by the sound of skin against skin. Their eyes were only on each other, lips aligned but doing little more than panting into each other’s mouths. The bottom tugged against his bindings, whining desperately as he surged up to press their lips together.

“Holy shit, make it stop!” Jace reached out, and Alec- after many years with younger siblings- instinctively moved the phone away. With the movement, Jace’s finger didn’t hit the ‘x’ button, but rather the expand button and the video took over the entire screen. “Alec!”

“Fuck, yes baby, there, there!” The bound man cried out. Feet dug into the mattress as he clearly tried to meet the thrusts. “So good, so good.”

Suddenly, Alec realized that this was somehow Magnus’s plan. He laughed as Jace lunged again, twisting his body to keep the phone just out of reach as they wrestled for the phone. He glanced up to where his fingers were still barely keeping hold of the device, sure enough the couple were moving frantically, the sound of their pleasure coming from the small speaker.

“Yes, yes, yes!”

“Alec turn it off!” Jace shouted.

“It’s just getting to the good part,” Alec laughed, grabbing Jace’s arm when he went to reach for the phone. “See?”

The bound man arched his shoulders down to his tailbone coming off the mattress, his cock twitching as he found release. “Fuck, you’re so hot. So-“

The video cut off as Jace finally managed to hit the right button, practically laying over his parabatai, and pulling the phone from Alec’s fingers. He glared down at Alec. “My phone better not get a virus.”

Alec rolled his eyes. “Get off me.” Jace ruffled Alec’s hair, made to move but when his phone went off, he remained sitting on Alec’s chest. “Move your bony ass, Jace.”

“No.” Jace replied easily opening the next message and laughing. “Oh snap.” He turned the phone so Alec could read what was in the blue bubble.

_‘Care to try, Alexander?’_

“Well, I guess that explains why your boyfriend is sending me porn. He was trying to send you porn… wait.” Jace blushed. “The big surprise… that you’ll want to try… is…” He laughed. “You sly dog.” Alec finally managed to push Jace’s weight off his chest so he could sit back up. “So… in this scenario, are you the one tied up, or doing the tying up?”

Alec paused in putting his still-wet sock back on. “Are you seriously asking if I top or bottom?”

“No, I’m asking if you want to be tied up, or like tying someone else up.”

Alec looked for any form of mockery, but found none. “Why do you ask?”

“I don’t know. Because we’re brothers. Am I not supposed to be supportive?” Jace asked. “And how many times did you have to hear about me with women?”

“Yeah, but I didn’t want to hear about it,” Alec muttered.

Jace laughed. “Fair.” They both managed to get their socks and boots back on, although they were both uncomfortable with their shoes and couldn’t wait to get home and change. Alec stood, and glanced at Jace who despite having already tied his boots, still played with the laces. “Alec?”

“Yeah?”

“I-I’m not asking about positions,” Jace said fiddling with the frayed end of a lace. “I just… I want to know that you’re happy, and comfortable in this relationship. I mean, he’s a lot older, and way more experienced-‘

“Gee, thanks,” Alec muttered.

“I just don’t want him pressuring you into anything you don’t want to do,” Jace said, finally looking up.

Alec softened, he could think of very few examples of Jace being open and vulnerable. He had no hint of his arrogance, nor his devil-may-care attitude. Through their parabatai bond, Alec felt a surge of affection, and the warmth of Jace’s protective nature. He sighed, and crouched down to be eye level with Jace. They usually attacked sentiment with sarcasm. They avoided feelings, and downplayed their problems. With how honest Jace had just been, Alec couldn’t reply with something as flippant as, ‘I assure you, Magnus is a perfect gentleman in bed.’ He couldn’t get away with an eye roll and a punch to the shoulder. This was his parabatai genuinely worried about him, and he wouldn’t belittle him for that.

“I promise you, Magnus has never tried to pressure me into anything,” Alec said softly. “He always makes sure to have consent before trying anything new, and he has no problem stopping when I’m uncomfortable.”

Jace nodded. “Good.” He took a deep breath, and his smirk returned. “Consent is super sexy.”

Alec laughed, grateful that the serious part of their conversation had ended. “Come on, I still want breakfast.”

“Yeah!” Jace jumped up. “I still want to try that quiche, I did help make it while you were sleeping, lazy.”

“I was sleeping off being drugged by a Seelie!” Alec said.

“Was that all you were sleeping off?” Jace asked while he wiggled his eyebrows.

“Shut up,” Alec retorted, giving Jace a playful shove.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo. Remember those boss mugs that have appeared sporadically through this fic?  
> (Fly and Bi / Better Gay Than Grumpy)  
> Well, the very lovely awkwardspacekid drew them. I've never had fanart of my work. I'm being totally cool about it. Okay, okay, there might be a little geeking out. Shut it.  
> If you want to check it out, here is the link; https://68.media.tumblr.com/d23b05490497da7e6bdae85e0a7b5819/tumblr_omxssd7eN81uufy4wo1_400.jpg 
> 
> awkwardspacekid, thank you for showing this fic some love<3
> 
>  
> 
> Side note: Falu is a colour, much like brick red in case you were wondering.


	7. Blowjob

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SUPER NSFW.  
> Or like... anywhere in public, just don't. Or do, like whatever, I don't tell you how to live your life.

Alec had woken up earlier than usual, and rather than try to fight his way back to sleep, he decided to crawl out of bed. Not being much of a morning person didn’t mean he didn’t grow up having to wake up early. Besides, after a half-hour of being awake he tended to return to what Isabelle called his ‘usually levels of grumpiness.’ He spent a bit of time in the bathroom, getting ready for the day while fighting his dry, tired eyes. With the towel around his hips, he leaned against the counter while he brushed his teeth.

He couldn’t help but think about how Jace had once again interrupted his time with Magnus. He had figured that Jace would be out all evening, but rather, he’d come home early with a small woman who at first glance looked alarmingly like Clary. It was just her hair, Alec had realized belatedly, the woman didn’t actually look like Clary, but it was enough to make Alec worry about Jace. Especially with the self-loathing coursing through the bond.

That had put an end to the hot make-out session he’d been having with Magnus on the couch. Alec did his best to ignore the sounds coming down the hall, he tried to block out the bond as much as possible, but the damage to the mood had been done.

“He needs to get his shit together,” Alec muttered to himself around the toothbrush.

His session with Magnus had been leading in such a favourable direction, Alec had frozen when he’d heard the door open, unfortunately that meant he froze shirtless, on top of his boyfriend, lips where Magnus’s navel would be if he had one, with his hand down the front of Magnus’s open jeans.

After rinsing the toothbrush, and his mouth, Alec walked softly into the bedroom and got dressed in his usual dark jeans and t-shirt combo. The drapes opened suddenly, bathing the room in an early morning glow. While his heart had jumped into action, Alec turned to the bed, having quickly figured out it was Magnus’s doing. Sure enough, Magnus sat upright, the blankets pooling at his hips, his bare chest on glorious display, his hands in fists rubbing his eyes.

 _Adorable._ Alec figured it was an odd thought to have about a centuries old warlock, but it didn’t make it any less true.

“Good morning,” Magnus muttered before yawning, and stretching his arms over his head.

“Good morning, Magnus,” Alec replied softly, he walked over and pressed a chaste kiss to the man’s cheek. “You want coffee?”

Magnus shook his head. “Tea.”

“I’ll put the kettle on.”

Magnus smiled. “Thank you.”

As he walked down the hall, Alec heard Jace snoring in his room. Good, Alec wanted to have a bit of alone time with Magnus. The loft had become a place where Alec could unwind, relax, and spend some time just enjoying the company of his boyfriend without any eyes on them. Now, Jace third-wheeled their breakfasts, the occasional dinner, and seemingly every goddamn spare moment Alec had with Magnus.

It wasn’t that Alec didn’t enjoy spending time with Jace, or even Jace and Magnus, he liked that they were getting along, he honestly didn’t know how he would cope if two of the most important men in his life didn’t like each other, however, he did want to spend some time with _just Magnus._ Preferably while naked. There had been a distinct lack of sex since Jace moved in. His parabatai seemed to have a sense of when they were being intimate, and would then show up at the worst possible moment, usually with some woman on his arm, and they’d go off to make obscene noises in the bedroom.  

Alec put the kettle on, then measured the grounds, and started the coffee maker. Magnus joined him soon after looking as fabulous as ever, grey trousers that hugged his body just right, a loose flowy top in a soft green, gold eyeliner, and clear gloss on his lips. “It’s been like two minutes, how are you so put together,” Alec muttered, staring at Magnus’s ass as he walked past to stand near the stove, waiting on the kettle.

“Magic, Darling,” Magnus said with a little flourish of his hands, blue flames licking along his fingers.

With his eyes on the dancing flames, Alec walked closer. “I’ll show you some magic,” he said grabbing Magnus’s belt and pulling him closer.

Those sinfully glossy lips curved into a smile. “Oh, will you?” Alec gave a little nod, slowly unfastening Magnus’s belt, giving him a chance to dismiss him. “Jace will likely be up soon.” Magnus groaned, watching Alec’s fingers deftly pull the material over the button at the top of his pants. “I’m pretty sick of him cutting in, it’s rather frustrating.”

“I agree,” Alec said. He couldn’t take Magnus’s glossy lips any longer, and pressed his lips against them tasting a hint of vanilla. “He’s sleeping,” he muttered against his boyfriend’s lips while he pushed down on the zipper, his finger between the teeth, his finger grazing against Magnus’s growing erection. “Please. I want this too,” he whispered.

“Yeah, okay, yeah fuck it,” Magnus muttered, smiling. Alec maintained eye contact as he sunk to his knees, his back against the island that Magnus put his palms down on.

Alec felt quite the thrill as his fingers sunk behind the elastic band, and he tugged Magnus’s trousers and shimmering black briefs in one go. Even though they’d moved their relationship into the physical side a while back, Alec always had a moment of awkwardness where his brain got in the way. He couldn’t help but think of his inexperience, his hands trembled a little as they held to Magnus’s thighs.

Looking up, he found Magnus staring down at him with a strange mix of adoration and lust. Magnus’s right hand slipped from the counter, and threaded through Alec’s damp hair. “You still want to do this?” he asked softly. “It’s okay if you don’t.”

He grabbed Magnus’s hand to keep it still as he turned his head so he could press a kiss to Magnus’s palm. “I want to,” he whispered, hands running over the powerful thighs he knelt between. Before he could overthink it, he wrapped his hand around Magnus’s length, and ran his tongue over the tip. “I want to,” he repeated before his lips wrapped around the tip of Magnus’s cock, and gave a light, testing suck.

Magnus whispered something that sounded a lot like a curse, and Alec took it as a personal triumph. He licked the length, leaving a glossy trail of his saliva. His head bobbed slowly, taking a little more when he felt he could. Unsurprisingly, he found his own cock pressed uncomfortably against the zipper of his own jeans, his hand pressed over the bulge trying to settle it to a less painful position.

“Alexander.” At Magnus’s soft whisper, Alec glanced up, and found his boyfriend looking a little dazed.

Remembering that Jace could wake up at any moment, Alec had to do away with the thought of slowly picking Magnus apart with pleasure. His mouth engulfed Magnus’s cock, his hand working what he couldn’t quite manage. With his eyes closed, he focussed on his other senses that were all fixated on Magnus; the scent of sandalwood, the taste of pre-cum, the feel of skin, and the glorious moans from Magnus’s lips.

He looked up, blown away by the sight of Magnus running his hands through his own hair looking wonderfully debauched, mouth open in a soundless moan, brown eyes wide and staring down at him. Alec moaned at the sight, his hand slipping away as he desperately tried to take more.

“Yes, like that,” Magnus said. “So good.”

Alec’s cheeks hallowed in response. He licked the slit, kissed it, before moving his attention to the ‘v’ of Magnus’s hips, his hand working the spit slick length. He licked up his the crease of his boyfriend’s hips, and dragged his teeth back down.

“Fuck,” Magnus muttered. The kettle started to whistle, and Magnus silenced it with a quick wave of his hand. 

Alec’s eyes sought Magnus’s a second before he stuck out his tongue, lapping at the head, before wrapping his mouth around the shaft, sucking lightly as he bobbed his head. He wondered, briefly, if it was odd he found the activity so relaxing. Sometimes, he thought he liked giving head more than receiving it. And he _really loved_ being on the receiving end. The little gasps for air, the curses, and low moans from Magnus were rewarding. Magnus’s pleasure somehow connected to his own. Glancing up, he saw that Magnus had his hand over his mouth, trying to muffle the moans to keep Jace from waking.

A shame. Alec loved hearing Magnus.

And it didn’t matter anyway. Not when they heard Jace’s door open.

Magnus’s eyes widened, and Alec’s teeth pressed lightly on the flesh, not enough to hurt, but enough to bring Magnus’s attention back to him. He put his hands behind his head, and opened his mouth.

“Alexander?” Magnus’s wrecked voice pitched in confusion.

“Your choice,” Alec said, his mouth returning to that same open position, his tongue resting on his bottom lip.

“Fuck.” Magnus glanced from Alec’s mouth, to his eyes, then to the kitchen entrance. “Fuck.”

Alec wanted. Anticipation with a hint of fear that they would get caught. He didn’t actually want Jace to see him like this, but he had enough with the constant interruptions, and after getting Magnus all worked up, he didn’t want to leave him frustrated yet again.

Just when Alec was sure that Magnus was going to pull his pants back up, his ringed fingers grabbed his cock instead, and aimed it between Alec’s waiting lips. Alec moaned around the head, only to get a warning glare from Magnus, who apparently didn’t want to get caught either. Magnus’s hands went to the counter, over Alec’s head, but his eyes went to the door.

“G’morning, Magnus,” Jace muttered, clearly still half-asleep.

“Good morning,” Magnus managed to sound unaffected. That wouldn’t do. Alec took more of the length, risking his gag reflex, and pulling back right when he thought he would have choked.

Alec had a hard time keeping track of things, his focus on getting Magnus off as fast as possible had changed now that Jace was in the room. His hands returned to Magnus’s thighs, his long fingers grazing along, alternating between kneading, stroking, and running his blunt nails along the flesh.

“What are yo-ou doing?” Magnus said, sounding so alarmed that Alec paused, lips sealed around the head, tongue pausing in its little flicks.

“Getting milk for my coffee,” Jace replied.

“There isn’t any. Sorry.”

“Oh,” Jace said. “You can’t just magic some?”

“Alec frowns upon it.”

Jace laughed. “He would, and speaking of Alec, where is he? It’s not like him to sleep in this late.”

“H-he went to get more-“ Alec twirled his tongue and Magnus’s hips stuttered as his words did, “mmm-milk.”

Jace sighed. “What am I going to do without milk for my coffee?”

“Just…” Magnus glanced down biting his lip for a second. “Just add more sugar!” Secure in the fact that Jace wouldn’t be going to the fridge now, Alec returned to the teasing licks, and kisses. Magnus gave a stuttering groan as he clearly tried to keep the sound back, even as his hips pushed forward.

“You okay?” Jace asked.

“Stubbed my toe,” Magnus lied quickly, sounding breathless.

“That sounds like a lie, but okay,” Jace muttered.  

Alec kind of smirked- hard to do properly with his mouth full. His hand wrapped around what he didn’t dare attempt with Jace in the room, and he worked his mouth and hand in time with each other, slow enough to keep Magnus on edge. One of Magnus’s hands left the counter, and grazed along his cheek before Magnus seemed to remember company, and put his hand back on the counter, his attention back on Jace.

 “There isn’t much sugar left,” Jace said.

“Deal with it!”

“Oh, it’s fine,” Jace said. “I’m just going to tell Alec to pick some up while he’s out. Save a trip.”

“No, don’t-“ Magnus said, but it was too late.

The generic ringtone set off, and vibrated in Alec’s pocket, against the tip of his neglected cock since he’d pushed it away from the zipper earlier. His nails dug into Magnus’s thighs, suddenly understanding the hype about vibrators. He pulled back, letting Magnus’s cock fall from his mouth, and pulled his phone from his pocket. Thumb swiping over the decline button, he wondered what kind of expression Jace had on his face. Smirking up at Magnus, he reached up with phone in hand, and twisted his arm so he could set it on the counter between Magnus’s hands.

He then brought his hands back down to Magnus’s thighs, his playful mood turning worrying with the long silence.

“Oh,” Jace said. “Does this mean I’m not going to have milk for my coffee?”

“You’ll have some kind of cream in your coffee if you don’t leave,” Alec warned.

“Did you just… you know what, I’m not even going to-“

Alec felt Magnus’s magic, although he didn’t see it.

“Alright, alright!” Jace shouted. “I’m going to get a good coffee from that café down the street, and I’m not bringing any back for either of you.”

They waited until they heard the door shut, and then Alec was back to his task. Without worrying about Jace, they both felt at ease.

“Are you trying to destroy me?” Magnus asked, his hands finally able to sink into Alec’s thick hair and grip. The light pull had Alec moaning, the taste of pre-cum on his tongue. Magnus kept muttering, half of it Alec couldn’t even understand, and he wasn’t entirely sure it was even English.

The slow, filthy roll of Magnus’s hips had Alec palming himself through his jeans. The control of the situation easily slid over to Magnus, those sinful movements of his hips driving Alec wild as he stared up at the clear pleasure conveyed on his boyfriend’s face.

Magnus pulled his hips back, and Alec whimpered, his tongue flicking, trying to catch the length just out of reach. He let out a little gasp as his hair was tugged just a little. “You’re wicked, my Alexander,” Magnus whispered in awe. “Stick out your tongue.”

Alec obeyed immediately. The words made his cock throb, and he unzipped his jeans providing himself with a little relief from the confining pressure. The rings on Magnus’s fingers glinted as he took himself in hand, guiding his cock to smear a bead of pre-cum over Alec’s tongue. The action shot pleasure straight through Alec, and he freed his own erection from the confines of his boxer-briefs. Alec tried to take Magnus’s cock into his mouth, but the hands in his hair kept him in place.

“You want this?” Magnus’s asked, the head of his cock running over Alec’s tongue once again before pulling back.

Alec whimpered. “Yeah,” he said a little breathlessly as his thumb smeared pre-cum over the head of his cock, slow and teasing.

Magnus kept teasing, and Alec had enough. If he couldn’t move his head forward, he’d bring Magnus’s hips to him. His hands grabbed Magnus’s ass, fingers clenching as he pulled him forward. Magnus let out an odd sound, clearly startled, which morphed into a long, drawn out moan. He released Alec’s hair and let him retake control of the situation.

“Yes, just- oh yes, like that,” Magnus moaned above him.

Alec tucked his hands under Magnus’s shirt, fingers skimming over the hard muscles. He tugged at the fabric until Magnus got the message and pulled it over his head. Alec heard the buttons hit the floor somewhere to his left. He pulled back to be able to pull in a full breath, and stared up at Magnus. And by the Angel, he wished he could save the moment, Magnus’s mouth open, breathless pants, eyes unglamoured and practically glowing, hair sticking up at all angles- messed up from his own hands.

He took just the head back into his mouth, working it over with his tongue, twirling, flicking, mercilessly teasing. His left hand jerked what wasn’t in his mouth, and his right worked himself over in mirrored strokes.

“So good, so good,” Magnus whispered, his hand cupping Alec’s jaw, thumb brushing along his lips. His eyes widened, and his hips rolled gently. “Are you getting off to having my cock in your mouth?”

Alec realized Magnus must have just noticed, but he seemed incredibly pleased and turned on by the development.  Incapable of verbally answering, he jerked himself quicker, it felt so good, and he was so damn close. Everything was Magnus, and tried to time the movements of his head with the movements of his hands.

He didn’t want to get off before Magnus did, and sucked harder, his hand slipping from the length, allowing himself to take more into his mouth. His hand toyed briefly with Magnus’s balls, before venturing further back. Brushing his finger against Magnus’s hole, the man let out a startled shout and stepped back.

Alec worried he’d done something wrong- even if it had been something they’d tried before. He hadn’t pressed too hard, he was sure, but-

His worrying derailed when the first burst of hot come landed on his face, more followed, getting in his hair, staining his shirt, and standing out sharply on his black jeans.

Magnus panted above him, hands braced on the counter. “ _Alexander_.” Those golden eyes stared down at him for a second before he smiled brightly and laughed. “Oh, Alexander. I’m sorry. I thought I was still in control. I was wrong.”

Alec’s anxiety took a back seat now that he knew he hadn’t crossed a line with his boyfriend. He was oh-so sensitive, and with Magnus’s come on his skin he was so damn close. The humour on Magnus’s face left as his eyes as he continued to stare, eyes flicking between Alec’s face, and down to where his hand was jerking frantically, desperate for release.

“Are you close, Darling?” Magnus asked.

Alec nodded, keeping his eyes on Magnus’s, the golden hue did something to him that he didn’t understand.

Magnus’s fingers threaded back through his hair, tugging his head back just a little. “You look so good like this.” He smeared some of the come on his cheek. “I like leaving my mark on you.”

Those pleasure ruined words pushed him over the edge, and Alec clenched his teeth, trying to muffle the sound but it still managed to come out as a pitched whine from the back of his throat- a habit from living in close quarters.

Suddenly, Magnus was crouched in front of him, his hand on his own come covered one forcing him to keep stroking his oversensitive flesh. “Let me hear you,” Magnus demanded, his hand cupping his jaw, pressing just enough to encourage Alec to open his mouth.

Alec felt too good to be embarrassed by the sounds that escaped him the loud desperate panting, the moans, the chanting of Magnus’s name. He surged forward, capturing Magnus’s lips, desperately licking into his mouth. He pulled his come covered hand away, but Magnus didn’t let up. “Please, please, Mags, I can’t again-“

The blue tinged hand proved him wrong, the magic pulsing through him as he practically fell into Magnus lap, gripping him as he shook, lips too uncoordinated to continue kissing. He shouted- loudly as he came all over Magnus’s lap. The magic faded, and the hand slowed to a stop.

“Magnus,” Alec felt dazed, spent, and exhausted.

“I’m sorry, that was impulsive,” Magnus said, sounding worried.

Alec pulled back just enough to stare at his boyfriend, then down at his lap. “That was amazing.”

“Next time, I’ll ask,” Magnus promised.

“Did you hear me complaining?” Alec kissed him hard on the mouth killing any doubts. “You’re so good to me.” He glanced down at Magnus’s lap. “And as it turns out, I like leaving my mark on you.”

Magnus chuckled. “Come on, let’s get in the shower before Jace comes back.”

Alec laughed, feeling light and relaxed. “Yeah, okay.”


	8. Comfort Sex

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I took absolutely forever getting this done, but smut takes me forever.  
> Also, as I pointed out before, depending on how I wrote this chapter it would either be the last, or second last. As you can see by the updated number of chapters, there will be one more ;)  
> Enjoy!

The events of the night lingered, clinging their dirty shadows onto the day. Every Shadowhunter of the New York Institute spent the day combing through the hallowed halls for bodies. The basement had a line-up to the morgue. Downworlders from every fraction wanted their dead back, and were furious with Shadowhunters.

With each body that Alec moved, he found himself sickeningly grateful. _Not-Magnus._ Also, not Madzie. Not Luke. Even, not Simon, not Raphael. It didn’t make the job any less horrific. If the sight didn’t make his stomach lurch, the scent of charred corpses would. The sheer magnitude of the death was unlike anything Alec had seen, but feared he would become more familiar with, after all, the Soul Sword was missing.

That same sword that had revealed the truth to Jace- Clary not his sister; Valentine, not his father. Alec left after they’d finished clearing their section of the Institute. Jace was going to talk to Clary, Alec didn’t imagine that being a short talk either, and he was profoundly grateful. After this discovery, there was no way that Jace would be leaving the Institute any time soon.

_Thank the Angel._

The dark clouds let loose a light drizzle, but Alec didn’t mind as he started the journey to Magnus’s loft. Their shared ‘I love you’s’ were still on his lips, in his heart. They were the only thing to get him through the pure horror of the day.

_Magnus is alive._

And at the end of the day, that was all that mattered. Holding Magnus had dulled the pain, given him strength, but had been short lived. Magnus had warlocks to check up on, especially little Madzie who was staying with his friend. Alec had to assist with the bodies. Too soon after their ‘I love you’s’ were they pulled apart by their own duties, and it left Alec feeling all the more raw, and somehow incomplete.

Every step closer to Magnus allowed him to breathe a little easier. He itched to touch, to feel, to hold. He needed Magnus in a way he didn’t fully understand, but couldn’t deny. He moved faster, a brisk walk turned into a jog, into a run, into a sprint in the sudden downpour as he ran through Magnus’s neighbourhood and up the few stairs to the door.

Inside the building, he pushed his hair back, droplets of water dripping down the back of his neck. He climbed the stairs to the loft, and felt the cool rush of the wards granting him entry in the hall allowing him to get to the door.

He shoved Magnus’s door open, and found his boyfriend standing near the window of the living room. The soft murmur of Magnus’s voice took the edge off the strange feeling of his. He walked forward, yanking on the zipper of his black cotton jacket that had done little to protect him from the rain. Magnus turned to face him then, their eyes locked. Alec shrugged the jacket from his shoulders and the soaked fabric fell to the floor, not pausing in his steps.

“I’ll call you in the morning,” Magnus said, and didn’t give whoever was on the other end a chance to reply before hanging up, and tossing his phone onto the couch. “Alexan-“

Alec cut him off with his lips, Magnus responded right away, and Alec found the weight in his chest lessening. Long archer’s fingers gripped at Magnus’s shirt, only to find that to be insufficient, he instead wrapped his arms around Magnus’s waist, tugging him closer.

What started slow built with an intensity that shocked him. Soft brushes of their lips gave way to a rough, demanding press. His hands only left Magnus’s body long enough to reach over and grab the back of his shirt to yank it over his head, the damp material fell to the floor and he pulled Magnus in again.  

He needed more; more air in his lungs, for he felt out of breath; more skin-on-skin, for he felt lost without the anchor. It wasn’t _want_ anymore, it was _need._

“Please, _please,_ ” Alec begged against Magnus’s lips, not entirely sure what he was even asking for. His fingers toyed with the buttons on Magnus’s vest, popping a few of them. He thought of the Institute, of Valentine and the sword, of the charred bodies, and terror of not being able to find Magnus in those hours he spent searching. He pulled back as if burned. “Fuck, what am I doing?”

“Alexander.” Magnus grabbed Alec’s wrist. “It’s okay.”

“It’s not,” he said with an edge of panic, still wanting to touch more than anything. “Not after everything-“

“It’s okay,” Magnus repeated, stepping back into Alec’s space. “You’re hardly the first to require something life-affirming after such a horrific event.” The rings on his hand glinted as his fingers splayed on over his abdomen. “What do you need?”

“You,” Alec whispered, unnerved by the truth of the statement.

The smirk Magnus wore showed his delight. “I figured as much,” he said with an air of confidence. “Candles? Silk sheets? View of the Eiffe-“

“You.” Alec surged forward, silencing Magnus with his lips. Although the things Magnus could offer were nice, he didn’t need them, he didn’t desire them in the least at that moment. All he wanted was Magnus.

“Bed?” Magnus whispered pulling back.

The sudden space between them was too much, Alec grabbed Magnus’s hand and brought it back to his chest. “No. Here. Now. Please.” His head was clouded, and he couldn’t think straight. His fingers pulled at the last button of Magnus vest, and he shoved it away. The patterned shirt underneath had a line of pearl buttons- _by the Angel_. He gave the garment an impatient tug out of the trousers, and then lifted it over Magnus’s head- too irritated to deal with the buttons- only for the tight collar to get stuck, he cursed, and then the shirt was gone in a wisp of blue.

Magnus’s eyes were wide and feigning innocence, probably because he knew how much Alec enjoyed the simple, mundane task of undressing him. “It was one of a kind, Darling, and you were getting rough with it.” His eyes fluttered shut for a moment as Alec’s hands ran over his torso. “We should go to the bedroom, if you’re here, Jace won’t be far behind.”

“Clary isn’t his sister.”

“Wait.” Magnus’s hands covered Alec’s, forcing them to stop their exploration. Alec finally forced his eyes back up from the delectable sight of the fine hairs that disappeared under the waistband of his boyfriend’s trousers, and back to his eyes. “What?”

Alec huffed. Even not present Jace was cockblocking yet again. “Valentine had the Soul Sword and told Jace that he wasn’t his father, thus Clary is not his sister, and Jocelyn wasn’t his mother,” he said quickly. “We have no idea about Jace’s actual parentage, but he’s not Clary’s brother, and he said he’d be talking to her, so we can be pretty safe in the fact that we’re going to have the loft to ourselves.”

“Oh. Oh wow.” Magnus took a few seconds to process the facts, then his hands trailed up Alec’s arms, coming to rest on his shoulders. “So,” his hands started to roam down his chest, “I don’t run the risk of anyone walking in, with my hand,” the hand in question brushed over the front of his jeans, and cupped the bulge there, “here.”

Alec’s hips rocked a little into the touch, a whine at the back of his throat, and that was all the answer he gave.

“Excellent.” Magnus’s fingers went to work on the multiple belts of his thigh holster.

It took too long, Magnus fumbling with the multiple buckles, while also keeping as far as possible from the Seraph Blade still sheathed. Alec brushed aside the hands in favour of speed, knowing he’d get it off quicker himself. Magnus had already unbuckled the belt at his hips, and he quickly undid the two on the inner thigh, tossing his blade carelessly to the coffee table, it clanged loudly in the quiet, and nearly toppled one of Magnus’s candles.

“I need you. Now. Please.” Alec gave up on words in favour of kissing his way up the enticing column of Magnus’s neck, the soft scent of sandalwood and vanilla soothing his fried nerves.

Eager ringed fingers tugged, and ultimately got Alec’s jeans undone, with a slight push they fell from his hips, and Alec pushed forward to step out of them. He managed to get Magnus’s trousers undone but they clung to his ass and thighs in a way that Alec admired, but now found irritating.

Magnus let out a little laugh after one of Alec’s tugs. Alec shot his boyfriend a glare before giving him a playful push back. The back of Magnus’s knees hit the chair, and he toppled ungracefully into it. Alec smirked.

“You little-“

Alec’s hands returned to his boyfriend’s hips, tugging at the trousers again, Magnus lifting his hips to help out. It took a few tugs but Alec finally got them off, and they were tossed aside. He dropped down to his knees immediately running his tongue along the line of the bulge in the patterned briefs, sucking at the head where the fabric already had a damp spot.

“A-Alexander,” Magnus breathed the name with an edge of surprise.

Teasing could come later, but Alec didn’t have the patience for it. He’d been on the knifes edge of need, and maybe Magnus had been right, that he did need something life-affirming, he needed to feel Magnus, needed it to assure himself that they were both still here, still alive.

He yanked the briefs down, not bothered by the fact that they were still around Magnus’s ankles, and licking a long line, from the tip of his cock, over his abs, over his throat, his chin, and to his lips. “Fuck,” Magnus panted, his hand gripping Alec’s damp hair, his mouth moving against Alec’s with a sense of urgency that contradicted the slow, calming circles his painted nails traced along Alec’s ribs. The slight pull of hair made Alec gasp, and he found himself staring down into Magnus’s unglamoured eyes. “How do you want to do this?”

It took a moment for Alec to put together enough brain cells to form a reply.  “You, inside me. I want to- I want to ride you.” He felt his cheeks burn, they’d watched a few adult videos together, weeding out things that Alec didn’t want to try, and finding a few things he did that surprised them both. During that time, Alec paid close attention to Magnus’s responses, and really wanted to make Magnus’s little _‘yes, I would definitely like that,’_ into a reality.

Magic, ever convenient, and much appreciated, ensured neither had to go search for supplies. Instead a moment later, Alec shifting a little on Magnus’s lap, a lubricated finger brushed against Alec’s hole, and he had to remind himself to breathe. He pushed back, and earned a light swat on the rear for it. “Stay still,” Magnus ordered.

Alec whimpered against Magnus’s neck. “Please, don’t go slow, don’t draw this out,” he pled, a sigh when the finger finally breached him. “I need this, I need you, _please._ ” The begging was something they both enjoyed, Magnus loved hearing it, and Alec found the words in his mouth in the heat of the moment.

Magnus groaned, but listened. He pulled his finger, and shoved two fingers back in.

“Yes!” Alec cried out, his blunt nails digging into Magnus’s shoulders.

The fingers were swift, but the burn was welcome. Magnus peppered his face with kisses, and Alec rocked in time with the fingers prepping him. Their cocks brushed against one another, just enough to tease.

Magnus’s movements were focused on the goal, not his usual slow build, or teasing nature. Alec was grateful that he’d listened, even though he hissed out a breath as the third finger breached him, but rocked back into it anyway. He grabbed the bottle of lube from the side table, and put a little on his hand before working over Magnus’s cock with it.

“Oh!” Magnus gasped out, clearly surprised, but grinned. “You have me distracted,” he said with a sharp thrust of his fingers that had Alec moaning.

“It’s enough, it’s enough,” Alec said gently pushing at Magnus’s arm until he pulled his fingers out. With one quick, hard kiss, Alec stood.

It took a bit of maneuvering, to get what he wanted, but he made it work. His back to Magnus's chest, he had his feet planted on the floor on either side of Magnus’s legs, braced his hand on the arm of the chair, grabbed Magnus’s cock to line it up with his hole. He breathed out as he slowly sunk down, unwilling to admit that maybe he’d needed a bit more prep.

“Oh, fuck,” Magnus said awestruck.

“Good?” Alec asked as he wiggled his hips a little, taking that last inch.

“So good,” Magnus whispered.

Unused to the position, he shifted a few times trying to find his balance. It took a bit, but with Magnus helping to guide his hips they found a mutually satisfying rhythm.

Alec tilted his head back, lips searching for Magnus’s, the kiss distracting him enough that he couldn’t manage to get his hips back in sync. The Warlock’s hands trailed over his body, leaving the tingle of residual magic that Alec knew by now Magnus wasn’t entirely in control of. Magnus’s hands went to Alec’s hips, stilling them.  

Alec stilled. “Did I hurt you?”

“No.” Magnus’s hands moved to spread is ass, and the slow, filthy roll of his hips had Alec’s head dropping back over Magnus’s shoulder, and cushioned by the chair. Another thrust, and Alec moaned. “I just wanted you like this.” A sharp thrust, and Alec’s fingers dug into the leather, the arm thrown over Magnus’s shoulder tightened, needing to hold onto something solid as the pleasure assaulted his senses.

The thrusts picked up tempo, and the wet slapping sounds mixed with the symphony of their moans.  Alec turned his head into Magnus’s neck, breathing him in as he panted, unable to catch his breath. “Yes, yes, yes,” he whispered, lips brushing against his boyfriend’s ear, his teeth gently tugged at the gold cuff he found there.

In the mirror beside the front door, where Magnus frequently checked his appearance before leaving, Alec saw them. The debauched image of their lovemaking; Alec spread wide, open, his neglected cock bouncing with the force of Magnus’s thrusts, glistening with precome; Magnus with his hair in disarray, golden eyes outlined with smudged eyeliner, hands decorated by multiple rings roaming his body, his thick cock sliding in and out of Alec’s body.

“Oh fuck,” Alec muttered, mesmerised by their reflection.

Magnus nuzzled against his neck, kissing around the rune there. “I never found runes attractive until you,” he muttered. His teeth grazed along his neck during a particularly hard thrust. “Oh! Yes! So tight, my darling angel.”

Alec watched the reflection, seeing Magnus’s hand trail down his chest, fingers dipping into his bellybutton before sliding over the head of his cock. “Yes!” He breathed heavily as those ring fingers wrapped around the shaft, and worked in time with the thrusts, he knew he wouldn’t need much.

This wasn’t the same as the other times they’d had sex. Before, it was lovemaking, exploration, a way of showing adoration, and love. This was a joining, relief, and support; although there was no less love in it.

This was what Alec had craved, had needed. The horrors of the day slipped away, all that was left was Magnus. They’d survived. They were both still here.

“So close,” Magnus whispered, panting heavily, the warm breath against his neck.

A warning, if Alec chose to heed it, a warning always given. He kept riding, wanting Magnus to come inside him.

“Yes, yes! Alec-“ The arm around his chest tightened, the hand around his cock quickened, the cock inside of him throbbed as Magnus’s hips slowed. Alec’s, however, did not.

He rode the oversensitive flesh, desperate for his own completion. Magnus’s quiet moans of pleasure with whispered words of praise edged him on. A glance at the mirror had him shocked, some of Magnus’s come had started to leak out, dripping down Magnus’s cock. The sight had him right on the edge. His head dropped back to Magnus’s shoulder.

“Please, _please,_ don’t stop!”

“I’ve got you,” Magnus promised, and it sounded like it meant so much more.

The breath got caught in his chest, as his body tightened to the point it was nearly painful before he came. His ears rang, and his vision blurred with the intensity of the orgasm. He felt the warmth of his own come on his chest. His legs trembled, and he finally let himself just sit down on Magnus, his boyfriend’s cock deep inside.

Then he heard it, the sound of the heavy wood door shutting.

“Fuck,” Magnus said.

Alec raised his head, and stared at the door. “Was that-“

“Jace,” Magnus said the name like a curse. “Yes.”

Alec glanced at the mirror right beside the door. The erotic sight made Alec shiver, but it was for his eyes, for Magnus’s. Not Jace. His head fell back again, a little whine escaping him. “Fuck!”

Come slicked fingers brushed over Alec’s softening cock once again. Alec lifted his head just enough to look down his body, to see Magnus spread the come that had spilled over his fingers, all over Alec’s cock. He glanced over at Magnus who was a little entranced by what he was doing, and took a minute to realize he was being stared at.

“It’s alright, Alec,” Magnus said softly. “It’s not like he thought you were a virgin.”

“No, but it’s one thing for him to know I’m having sex.” Alec sighed. “It’s another thing for him to _see_ me having sex.”

Magnus’s hand finally slipped away, and Alec was thankful while it felt nice, it was getting to be too much for him. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” Alec’s brows drew down in confusion. “What for? I was the one who demanded here and now. This is my fault. If we’d gone to the bedroom like you suggested, he wouldn’t have walked in.”

“I should have noticed him coming through the wards,” Magnus said. “I was… distracted.”

“Well, I hope so,” Alec said with a wicked grin.

Magnus laughed, his arms wrapping around Alec and holding him close. “I love you. I love you so much, Alexander.”

“I love you too.” His lips found Magnus’s, and the soft, lazy kisses traded left him feeling warm and fuzzy. “I know I have to go talk to him, but can we just stay like this, just for a few minutes?”

Magnus gave him one last peck on the lips. “As long as you’d like, my love.”  


	9. Solved

By the time Alec had dressed, and walked outside of the loft, the rain had stopped. He found Jace sitting on the stairs. Inhale, exhale. While the conversation would surely be awkward, there could be no avoiding it without making it all so much worse. Alec descended the stairs, and sat down beside his parabatai. They were both completely quiet, Alec pressed his hands between his knees to keep from nervous fidgeting.

“I’m sorry,” Jace said.

It wasn’t how Alec had expected the conversation to go. Perhaps some teasing, a quip about taking it to the bedroom, or being impatient. The apology threw him for a loop.

Jace looked shame-faced, unable to actually meet Alec’s eyes, rather settling for staring at his ear. “I-I uh, should have knocked.”

Alec nodded, but took a deep breath. “You’ve been staying at Magnus’s long enough, you have a key, I shouldn’t have made assumptions that you were going to be out all night.”

The awkwardness persisted, not an elephant in the room so much as it was breakdancing llamas.

“So, you’re a bottom,” Jace said with a smirk.

And like that the awkwardness became embarrassment. With his face burning, Alec stared down his parabatai. “Not always.”

Jace let out a shocked laughed, and Alec joined in. Jace sighed, leaning back, his elbows supporting him. “Alright then. I take it you enjoyed yourself? If Magnus isn’t taking care of you-“

“I believe you walked in during evidence that I was very much so enjoying myself,” Alec muttered with utter mortification.

Surprisingly, Jace turned a deep red colour, and cleared his throat. “Yes. Yes I did. I really am sorry about that.”

“So you’ve said.”

Jace sat back up and nudged Alec with his shoulder. “It bears repeating.”

Alec nodded. “Have you learned your lesson about knocking?”

“Yes. Absolutely,” Jace said. “I’ll apologize to Magnus later, I promise. And I’ll be moving back to the Institute. Now that my name has been cleared up, and I helped apprehend Valentine, I’m back in Aldertree’s good graces. Or it’s a case of keep your friends close but your enemies closer. It’s hard to tell.”

“So, I take it you told Clary-“ Alec paused watching the way Jace’s face fell before he looked away. Alec started to pay attention then, not to the physical, but to the more spiritual. The bond was taut, an indication that Jace was wound painfully tight, electric-like tremors sizzled along the bond, a sign to back off that any other person would heed. Alec instead grabbed Jace’s shoulder, the tight hold managed to soothe the bond. “What happened with Clary?”

Jace scuffed his boot along the edge of the stair. “Didn’t tell her.”

Alec’s eyes widened. “You didn’t tell her?”

“No.” Jace ran his hands through his hair, droplets indicating he too had been caught in the rain at some point in the evening. “I couldn’t. She looked so happy with him. _With Simon._ Who, by the way, can now withstand sunlight.”

“What?”

“Yeah.”

They two sat in silence for a few minutes. Alec shocked by the development, wondering how it was even possible. The bond, as Alec opened himself fully to it, was loud on Jace’s end, stabs of self-loathing, slithering fear, and sickening horror all swirled around him.

Alec wished that Jace had someone to lean on, he wondered if what Jace felt was what his side of the bond had felt like before he’d gone to Magnus. He pulled Jace into a hug, the other man bristled- and for a minute, Alec thought it was because Jace had just witnessed him having sex- but it came with a half-assed attempt to block him before he relaxed into the hold, the mental building blocks crumbling. “Alec,” he whispered. “I didn’t mean to.”

“It’s okay, I know-“

“No, it’s not okay, it’s not okay!” He struggled in Alec’s hold, but Alec just held him tighter until his parabatai settled miserably in his arms. “It’s not okay. I killed them-“

Alec’s mind went for a loop, trying to catch up with Jace’s train of thought. “Jace, you... you thought you were prote-“

“I killed them,” Jace shouted, pulling back just enough that he was eye to eye with Alec. “It could have been Magnus.”

The thought of Magnus among the dead was like a stab to the heart, but he gripped Jace at the shoulders, fingers digging in with the kind of intensity that had his strength rune humming. “It also could have been you,” he snapped. “If things went down the way you wanted, the Downworlders would have been safe, but you would be dead. It could have been _you._ And that… that would have killed me, Jace.” He didn’t realize until Jace’s hand came up to brush along his cheek that he was crying. “I’m so thankful that Magnus wasn’t there,” he whispered, “and I’m sickened by my own fucking gratitude that you were wrong, and that I’m not holding your dead body right now.”

Jace’s breath came out in a rush, like he’d been punched in the gut. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t, don’t be sorry, Jace. It isn’t your fault. You were manipulated. You were used, and abused.” He pulled Jace back into his arms, the bond cutting some slack, nowhere near peaceful, but comfort rushed back and forth like the arms they wrapped around each other. “But you have to knock it off with this self-sacrificing shit-“

“I had to, I thought-“

“I know what you thought,” Alec snapped. His hand slipped down and pressed against Jace’s parabatai rune. “But don’t. _Where thou diest, I will die, and there I will be buried_. I love you, Jace. You are my brother, my parabatai, and to think of a world where you’re not by my side-“ he shook his head. “I can’t. You are not a pawn to be sacrificed, so stop being so willing to die.”

Jace’s lip trembled, he didn’t say anything, but nodded. Jace’s part of the bond trembled, and finally fell apart like a wave crashing over Alec. A little hiccup and Jace pressed his face into Alec’s shoulder. Alec wasn’t sure if he was crying for his own reasons, or because of the intensity of the emotions crashing down on him from Jace’s side. They were both open, the bond flowing with the kind of honesty it hadn’t done in years, it was easier to have things closed down that it was to feel so freely. They both received as much as they gave.

“Alec?” Jace asked, his voice watery.

“Yeah?” Alec’s voice broke halfway through.

“If Magnus had been there… do you think… do you think you would have ever forgiven me?”

Alec thought of Magnus dead, of it being Jace who activated the Soul Sword. Could he have forgiven that?

“I meant what I said before,” he said finally. “You didn’t know. I would have been… shattered. I don’t think I’d ever have picked up the pieces of myself, or assembled them right after, but… Jace, there wouldn’t have even been something to forgive, because I wouldn’t have blamed you.”

Apparently, it was the right thing to say because the slack in the bond indicated Jace calming. “Thanks.”

Alec nodded, and pulled Jace back in. They both still felt raw, but healing.

After a few minutes a loud clearing of the throat brought their simultaneous attention to Magnus who stood at the top of the stairs looking down at them with a frown. 

Jace quickly pulled back. “Magnus, I’m sorry.”

“Whatever for?”

And suddenly the tension was back in the bond. “For everything. For walking in on you two-“ Magnus scoffed at that. “For nearly killing you with the Soul Sword-“ Magnus’s face went soft. “For… for everyone who died there-“ Magnus held up a hand cutting Jace off from speaking further.

“It wasn’t your fault, Jace.”

Jace’s face pinched in confusion, the tension of the bond eased once more. “What?”

“What happened was a tragedy, and I know you were honest with your intentions,” Magnus said. “You wanted to destroy the sword, and it would have killed you. And Jace, that would have been a tragedy too.”

The three of them were quiet for a moment before Magnus clapped his hands together just once. “Okay, good, got that out of the way. Now I came out here to bring you both inside before you catch your death of cold.”

“We’re angel-blooded,” Jace said. “We’re not going to catch a mundane cold.”

“Inside,” Magnus demanded. “I have tea. And cookies.”

“Well… if there are cookies,” Jace said standing, pulling Alec up with him.

At the top of the stairs, Alec kissed Magnus briefly, hoping to convey his appreciation for the words he’d shared with Jace. Magnus smiled, and winked in return.

“I can go back to the institute,” Jace said.

“No,” Alec reached out, the bond still too raw, and Jace’s words still worrying him too much. “You’re staying. One last night.”

“You say it like you live there,” Jace said.

“I already gave him a key,” Magnus said. “He can _come_ any time.” He smirked as he led them to the stairs. “See what I did there?”

Jace groaned. “Not this again.” But it brought a little lightness to the bond, and Alec figured, maybe they’d all be okay after all. 


End file.
